


Soul Search

by Jld71



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bottom Jensen Ackles, Goodbyes, Heartache, Heartbreak, Hurt Jensen Ackles, Kissing, M/M, Misunderstandings, Soulmates, Top Jared Padalecki, letting go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 04:35:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17974601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jld71/pseuds/Jld71
Summary: Jensen meets Jared and falls in love with the younger man instantly. Jared feels the same way about the green eyed man. The only problem is, Jared has a soulmate; one he has yet to meet. Can their relationship last or is it doomed to fail, leaving Jensen heartbroken?





	Soul Search

Soul Search

 

The word soulmate is defined as a person who is ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

 

That was what Jared believed in. The world he lived in consisted of one finding their soulmate and living happily ever after. He was determined to have that; his soulmate. The one person who completed him. 

 

Jensen lived in the same world. But, he had never been destined to have a soulmate or dreamed about his happily ever after. He never thought he would find that one person he had wanted to love for the rest of his life. His parents were happily married and madly in love with each other, despite not being soulmates. He wanted that, more than anything in the world, he just never dared to hope it would happen to him.  

 

Jared had grown up seeing the best of loving relationships between soulmates. The majority of those who surrounded him, including his family consisted of soulmates. He had grown up with the knowledge that he was destined to have a soulmate; that one person who was suited to him, that he wouldn’t be able to walk away from. It had been that way for generations within his family. Sure, he had friends who were in committed relationships with those who weren’t their soulmates and they were happy. He knew not everyone in the world had a destined soulmate, but he had one. He knew that, deep down in his soul. He just didn’t know when he would ever find that person. At twenty-nine years old, he was beginning to wonder if he would ever find his soulmate. He dated, he wasn’t celibate and he wasn’t sitting at home, pining for what he hadn’t found, yet. He had several boyfriends in high school and college. His last boyfriend had ended things a year ago when not only had he refused to let the man move in with him, but he had also admitted to him that he didn’t see them settling down as a married couple. That had been awkward and had resulted in a few screaming matches between them before they had finally gone their separate ways. But, he still held out hope that his soulmate would walk into his life. That he would look into some special man’s eyes and just know he was the one. That he would touch this elusive man and feel the sparks as skin touched skin. He had seen it enough times to recognize when soulmates connected. He was just the last of his family to actually find his soulmate. Both his brother and sister were happily married to their soulmates. He was just the odd man out and he hated that. That was why he had been shocked when he had met Jensen Ackles and had fallen in love with the green eyed, older man. Because Jensen was not his soulmate. Jared had gone against everything he had hoped for, what he had grown up knowing was supposed to be his destiny; a soulmate and had started a relationship with Jensen. A relationship that he found made him happy; made him feel complete. So what if he hadn’t found his soulmate? He had found Jensen.   

 

Jensen was happy. Really happy and in love, so he should have known his world would have fallen apart. Because only he would have fallen in love with a man who was destined to meet his soulmate. And he was no one’s soulmate. 

 

He had taken one look at Jared and fallen in love. He shouldn’t have, but he had.

 

He knew Jared had been destined to find a soulmate. It ran in the man’s family. Jared had even expounded on how his parents were soulmates and how his grandparents were and his great grandparents and so on. The entire Padalecki clan had been like that. Jared’s siblings had found their soulmates. And of course, Jared had always believed that it was supposed to be that way for him as well. And Jensen? He knew he wasn’t one of the lucky ones to end up with a soulmate. No one in his family had ever been that lucky. Sure, his family members had found love, but it was never one of those bonds where one couldn’t be without the other. Until Jared, because he truly felt that way about Jared. He had met Jared and had fallen instantly in love with the the taller man. It had even sounded cliche to his own ears when he talked about it. But, he couldn’t have fought his feelings, even if he had tried. And he had, for about a minute. But, Jared had smiled at him; the man’s damn dimples showing in full force, and Jensen, he had lost his heart right there and then. 

 

They had met one day at a park of all places, and well, the rest as they say was history. Except in Jensen’s case, it was the start of his heartache that had led to heartbreak. He really should have known better. When Jared’s family had started in on how Jensen wasn’t Jared’s soulmate, he should have ended things then. But, he hadn’t been able to. Now, he had to. He had to say goodbye to the man he loved; the one person he had given his heart to. He might not have been Jared’s actual soulmate, but it sure had felt like it to him. Because to him, Jared had been his everything. Jared still was, except, Jared’s soulmate had shown up. And Jensen had done the only thing he could think to do, he had stepped aside. He couldn’t, wouldn’t stand in the way of Jared’s happiness. He loved Jared too much to do that to him and he was sure Jared would be happier with Connor, his soulmate. And well, even though his heart was broken, Jensen wanted Jared to be happy, even if that meant that he wasn’t the one for Jared. Jared had loved him, even if it had only been temporary. He would always have those memories of Jared; of how happy they had been, how in love he had been with Jared. He would treasure those memories and like with any treasure, he would lock those memories away so he would never lose them or have to deal with them again. He could do that; survive, exist from day to day without the one person he ached for. So what if he never loved again? Who needed love anyway? It was overrated; just look where love had gotten him.  

 

Saturday, Jensen found himself sitting at Jared’s kitchen table. He was packed and ready to go. The only thing he had to do was take the house key off his keyring and leave it for Jared to give to Connor. But, he couldn’t leave like that. Not without some type of word to Jared; his final goodbye to the man he would always love. Maybe he had been stalling, hoping that Jared would call him and tell him that he had made his decision and that Jared had chosen him. He knew it was just a desperate wish on his part, because Jared’s silence spoke volumes. To Jensens, Jared had made his decision and it had been Connor, his soulmate, not him. He was just some guy that Jared had been marking time with until Jared’s soulmate had finally made an appearance in his life. He just wished that things had been different; that he had been Jared’s soulmate or that he hadn’t fallen so in love with Jared that he didn’t know what to do except leave town. 

 

He got up and went to what Jared called the “catch all” drawer where he pulled out a pad of paper, an envelope and a pen. He returned to the table and sat, staring at the blank paper. He picked up the pen, wrote Jared’s name at the top of the paper and began to write his goodbye to the man he loved. He didn’t know if Jared would even take the time to read what he wrote, but at least he had the chance to put his thoughts down on paper. When he was done, he folded the paper and placed it in the envelope. With shaking fingers, he worked the house key off his keyring and placed it inside the envelope and then sealed it before placing it on the table. He wrote Jared’s name on the envelope and let his fingers trace over the name he had written before he replaced the pad and pen back in the drawer. With one last look over his shoulder, he opened the front door and walked out, closing the locked door behind himself. He sagged against the door, not wanting to let go of the handle because if he did, then that made everything final. He bit back the sob that was threatening to tear lose from him and slowly let go of the handle to make his way to his car. 

 

Once seated inside his car, he leaned his head against the steering wheel and let the tears flow. He knew he wouldn’t be able to drive until he had cried himself out. When his tears began to diminish to where he could finally see, he angrily wiped at his eyes. He hated that he had allowed himself to love Jared so deeply; setting aside every little doubt he had had about Jared eventually breaking his heart. Because, he had never really thought it possible that he would lose Jared; despite everything Jared’s family had said about their relationship not lasting. And in the end, they had been right. God, he had been such a fool. He jammed the key into the ignition and started the car. He pulled away from the curb with one last wistful look in the rearview mirror of what he was leaving behind and then forced himself to concentrate on driving. The last thing he needed was to get into an accident before he even made it off their street. No, Jared’s street, he reminded himself. He hadn’t made it far when he eyed the park and found himself pulling over to take one last look. Without realizing it, he had pushed open the car door and had closed it to lean against the car. Suddenly, he was on the sidewalk, walking toward one of the unoccupied benches. 

 

Today was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. He was supposed to be marrying Jared in an hour. Instead, he was leaving town. He couldn’t stay here, not where Jared was. He couldn’t take the risk of running into Jared. It would be too hard to see Jared; to see him happy and with Connor. He had packed his life up and had been driving out of town when he had felt the need to stop at the park; for just one last look at the place he had lost his heart to a man who had a soulmate. He couldn’t compete with that. He had no chance of winning that battle. He had known that the moment Jared had told him about meeting Connor. Sure, Jared had told him that he still loved him. But, he had seen the uncertainty in Jared’s eyes when Jared had asked him to give him some time to figure things out. He had agreed. It was the only thing he could have done. There was no reason to force the issue, because he had known in his heart that he had already lost Jared. The minute Connor had appeared in Jared’s office, he had been replaced. Nothing had happened between Jared and Connor; Jared would never have done that to him; he knew the type of man Jared was; honest and trustworthy. But, he had seen how this was tearing Jared apart and had offered to stay with a friend. Jared had refused the offer, asking him to give him time to figure things out. As far as he had been concerned, there was nothing for Jared to figure out. Jared had his soulmate and that man wasn’t him.

 

Jensen wiped at the tears that were freely falling. He shook his head and tried to clear his mind of thoughts of Jared.  _ Jared _ . He didn’t know how not to love Jared. That was how he had found himself at the same park they had met at nearly a year ago. The park had held such fond memories for him. Now, as he looked at it, it was only a source of heartache. He wanted to set fire to it. He wanted to wish that he had never stepped foot outside his apartment that day, or at least he wanted to wish that he had never gone for coffee or a stupid walk or that he had walked in the opposite direction. He should have turned right when he had stepped out of the coffee shop that day, instead of left. With a weary sigh, Jensen sat down on one of the stone park benches. He needed to say goodbye to this place, even though it hurt to look out over the park, and he had to thank it for bringing Jared into his life; even if he was no longer going to be sharing that life with Jared. That would now fall to someone else; Connor. And he wanted to hate the man who had ripped his world apart. He really wanted to, but he couldn’t. It hadn’t been Connor’s fault any more than it had been Jared’s. A person just couldn’t fight the pull of one’s soulmate. Which had left him where he was now; alone, sitting on a park bench, saying goodbye to everything he had loved. 

 

He looked out over the green grass and saw kids playing, dogs running back and forth as their owners threw a frisbee or a ball to them, several people were having a picnic, and a few people were lounging on the grass reading, while he sat there mourning what he had lost. He felt that ache in his chest as his heart tightened, remembering how he and Jared had first met. He had been out for a walk after grabbing a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop. He had needed some fresh air after being cooped up all day working inside. Normally he didn’t walk this way, but for some reason he had. Jared had been playing with his dogs, Luna and Jax; tossing a ball to them. Jared had tossed the ball, only it had hit him in the shoulder instead of one of the dogs catching it. He had been stunned, not knowing what had hit him until the tall man with floppy hair and the most intriguing eyes had run up to him, his dogs following at his heels.

 

“Oh my God, are you alright? I was tossing the ball to my dogs. I didn’t mean to hit you.” The dogs barked as if they were trying to back up the man’s story. The man had turned to them. “Jax, Luna, quiet down.” The man had turned back to him, a mixture of concern and fear showed in his eyes. “Please say something,” he had implored. “I’m Jared, by the way,” Jared had offered and then Jared had smiled at him. Not a full-on smile, but just the start of one, shyly showing the hint of his dimples. And that had cut through his shock and slight pain of where the ball had hit him in the shoulder. “Should I call someone for you?” Jared had inquired, concern hinted in his tone.

 

“No, I’m fine. At least I’m not on my ass, that’s something. Right?” he had commented before offering his name. “I’m Jensen. And there’s no one to call.” Jared had given him a smile; his dimples out in full force this time. And well, Jensen had taken one look at the taller man and had fallen in love with him; in a park with Jared’s dogs running in circles around them.

 

“So, since I maimed you, I should get your number. I should call you later and make sure that you survived the night. Or, I could take you out to dinner. To apologize and to also make sure you’re alright; that you didn’t pass out or anything,” Jared had said as he looked at the green eyed man standing before him. 

 

Jensen threw his head back and had laughed at Jared’s attempt at asking him for his number and then a date. “Fine, since you did maim me, it’s the least you could do.” They had talked for a while and then exchanged numbers before agreeing to meet for dinner that night. Jared needed to bring his dogs home and he had a few hours of work to get through before he could meet up with Jared. He was the senior System Administrator for a broadcasting company and oversaw the IT department and was able to work from home. He enjoyed his job and loved the fact that the company, which was over fifty miles away, allowed him to work remotely. He only had to drive in to the office once in a while to attend meetings when he was needed, which was rarely.  

 

He had met Jared at seven that night at a local steakhouse. Over beers, they had discovered that they shared a lot in common. They were both close with their families, they both liked sports and music. They both had a love of Rock and Country music. They enjoyed reading and they both loved Science Fiction and Fantasy stories, playing video games, good food, traveling and animals. Jensen’s landlord didn’t allow dogs in the building, so he had gotten a cat. He did love the black furball. He had adopted her from a local pet sanctuary as a kitten. “I work from home and needed some company. I figured she needed a good home. When I walked in, she looked up at me and meowed. So, yeah, took her home that day, named her Nico. She’s got the softest fur and the loudest purr. Of course, I think she only purrs like that because she wants to be fed,” he laughed at that and took a sip of his beer. 

 

Jared shook his head in agreement. “Luna and Jax were rescues. I couldn’t see going to a breeder when there were already dogs in need of a good home. I was only looking for one, but those two were huddled together and I couldn’t separate them,” Jared said as their waitress appeared with their dinner. 

 

As they ate, they discussed what they did for a living. He had found out that Jared’s family owned Padalecki Engineering and that Jared worked as a Civil Engineer for the company and had just completed a design for a new high-rise that was due to break ground in the next few weeks. He had explained his job to Jared, who had leaned forward and had listened with rapt attention, as if he had been telling Jared the most interesting story he had ever heard. They had spent the rest of the night eating, talking, laughing and having a good time with each other. That was, until Jared brought up the whole soulmate issue. Jared had ordered another beer, while Jensen had ordered a cup of coffee. Jared raised the beer to his lips and then had looked at Jensen. “I’m really having a great time tonight. I’m glad we met, even if I did maim you. I never thought I’d have such a connection with someone who wasn’t my soulmate.”

 

And just like that, Jensen felt his heart stop. “Soulmate?” he had asked in whisper. 

 

“Yeah, my whole family is like that. Soulmates. It’s incredible to see that; the bond and love they share. I’ve never met mine. I’ve kind of given up on that,” Jared had said in between sips of beer. “But, then I met you and this, just feels right. I’d like to see where this goes, if you’re interested.”

 

Jensen had sat there, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. He had no idea what to say. Then, apparently his mouth had answered before his mind had a chance to catch up. “I’d like that.” He should have run from the restaurant. He should have known this relationship had been doomed from the start. But, Jared was everything he had been looking for in a partner and he couldn’t deny his attraction to the man. He didn’t care that Jared was four years younger than himself. It didn’t matter to him that Jared came from a higher social and economic bracket. He was college educated, had a great job, made his own money, he had his own apartment and a family that loved him. The one thing that had been missing from his life, was someone to share his life with. And to him, Jared was that person, soulmate be damned.

 

From that first chance meeting, they had spent time together, learning what made each other tick. Jared had discovered that Jensen couldn’t function without at least having one cup of coffee before he started his day. Jensen had quickly figured out that Jared embraced every day with boundless energy and was enthusiastic about everything, including introducing him to his family. 

 

As they pulled up to Jared’s childhood home, Jared had looked over at Jensen with a soft smile on his face. He could see Jensen’s apprehension over meeting his family showing as Jensen clutched at his seatbelt; his knuckles had turned white from the grip he had on the material. He reached over and ran his fingers over Jensen’s skin, trying to massage some blood flow back into them. “Don’t worry, they’re going to love you. Just like I do.” Jensen’s head snapped to his left to look at him, his green eyes wide in surprise. “Yeah, I said it. I love you. You don’t have to say it, if you don’t feel the same way. But, I figured you should now how I feel about you. You’re the only one I’ve ever brought home to meet my family.”

 

Jensen felt his fears begin to subside at hearing Jared’s words. Even though Jared had been the first to say those three important words, he had already fallen in love with Jared. He loved the younger man; had since the first day they had met. He had just never dared to say anything for fear of driving Jared away and the whole soulmate issue had terrified him to his very core. “I love you, too,” he breathed out. With a smile he had said to Jared, “Come on, introduce me to your family,” as he got out of the truck and followed Jared inside.  

 

Jared’s family had been what some would call pleasant and welcoming upon meeting him under the circumstances, considering he wasn’t Jared’s soulmate. Some might have called them rude and callous. He still didn’t know what to make of that first meeting. “Mom, Dad, this is Jensen,” Jared beamed at his parents as he introduced Jensen to them. 

 

“Nice to meet you,” Jared’s mother said with a curt smile. 

 

“Jensen,” Jared’s father said and shook his hand briefly. 

 

“Come on, I’ll show you around. I think my brother and sister are already here with their spouses,” he said as he led Jensen into the dining room. “Hey,” he greeted as he hugged his sister and shook hands with his brother. Turning toward Jensen he said, “This is Jensen.” He placed his arm around Jensen’s shoulders and drew him closer. 

 

“Nice to meet you,” Jared’s sister responded as she swept her eyes up and down him, taking all of him in before turning to introduce her husband who only nodded and smiled in acknowledgement. Jared’s brother and his wife looked at him with a pained smile on their faces before saying hello to him. “Jared, Jensen isn’t your soulmate, is he?” Jared’s brother finally stated. 

 

“No, does that really matter?” Jared challenged back.

 

“You know how are parents are . . .” Jared’s brother started to comment before their mother called to Jared, requesting his help in the kitchen. 

 

“I’ll be right back,” Jared remarked as he let go of Jensen. He stepped forward toward his brother. “Please don’t make this an issue,” he pleaded to his brother before leaving the dining room and Jensen alone with people he had just met.

 

Jensen stood at the door, not knowing if he should venture in or run from the house. “Your parents have a beautiful home,” he offered as a way to break the growing silence and the feeling of tensen that hung in the air.

 

“Yeah,” Jared’s sister replied. “They do.” She turned her attention back to the conversation she had been having with her husband.

 

Jared’s brother pushed himself away from the dining table, stood up and approached him. “Look, we’re not trying to be unfriendly. You seem like a nice guy and Jared talks about you all the time. He seems happy with you. It’s just that are parents are really big on being with your soulmate. And, well, it’s just how it’s always been in our family. It’s kind of hard to see Jared go against that.” He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. “Plus, you’re the only one he’s ever brought home to meet us. No one he’s ever dated, from high school until now, has ever made it past the ‘dating stage’ to the ‘I think I want you to meet the family stage’. We’ve just never dealt with this before. Don’t be surprised if our parents don’t roll out the red carpet on your behalf.” 

 

Jensen just nodded. He knew that Jared had never brought anyone one. Jared had told him that as they had sat outside while he got his nerves under control. “I’m just gonna . . .” his words trailed off as he realized that no one was paying any attention to him. He slipped out of the dining room and walked the short distance to the kitchen where he heard voices. He had been about to walk into the kitchen to ask Mrs. Padalecki if there was anything he could do to help out; set the table, pour drinks, or whatever, when he had overheard Jared and his mother’s conversation. He heard Jared’s voice and as he inched closer, he heard Jared’s mother speaking. 

 

“Jared, honey, what are you doing? Jensen seems nice, but he’s clearly not your soulmate. Don’t you think you should wait it out? Give it a little more time? Your soulmate is out there. Don’t tie yourself to someone who isn’t the one,” she had said in earnest

 

“Mom, I’m twenty-nine years old. If I haven’t met him by now, he doesn’t exist. Besides, I really like being with Jensen. There’s just something about him. He makes me happy. Isn’t that enough? His parents aren’t soulmates and they’re happily married. That’s something, right?” Jared had responded.

 

“I just don’t want you to settle for Jensen because you haven’t found your soulmate, yet.”

 

“I’m not settling. I love him,” Jared had stated. 

 

He had backed away from the kitchen, not wanting to hear Jared’s mother’s response. He had remained quiet throughout dinner and the drive home. It wasn’t until they were back at Jared’s home with the dogs taken care of and Jared trying to steer him up to the bedroom when he spoke up. “Your mother’s right. You shouldn’t settle for me. You’re only twenty-nine. There’s still a possibility that you could find your soulmate,” Jensen said. There was only a four year age difference between them, but suddenly he felt old and tired as he spoke those words. He braced himself for what was to come; for Jared to look at him with those intriguing eyes and tell him that his mother had been right. That Jared was settling; had been willing to settle for him, but that he had changed his mind. That Jared was ending things between them in hopes of finding his soulmate. He looked away from Jared, not wanting to see the sadness on Jared’s face; the sadness that would match his own.

 

“You heard that?” Jared asked softly. 

 

“Jared, it’s alright. I understand. Let me just get my things and I’ll go,” Jensen said. They were supposed to be spending the night together at Jared’s home. They had plans to go out for breakfast the next morning with a few of Jared’s friends. The restaurant they were meeting at was closer to Jared’s house than his apartment and Jared had somehow convinced him to spend the night with him, rather than going home, only to have to drive back in the morning. “You can tell your friends that I had to work. That an emergency came up or whatever you want.” He had started to walk away, so he could get his overnight bag and leave. But, Jared had reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

 

“Jensen, stop. Please, look at me,” Jared had pleaded with him. “I’m not settling. How could I when I love you? What I want to tell my friends is that you said yes.”

 

Jensen had turned around to face Jared because he hadn’t understood Jared’s comment. “Said yes?” he had asked in confusion. He wore a look of confusion when he realized he had to look down to see Jared. Jared was still holding onto his wrist, but the younger man had sunk down to one knee.

 

“Jensen, I love you. Will you marry me?”

 

Without another thought, Jensen had said yes. “Yes! Yes, Jared, I’ll marry you,” he had breathlessly replied to Jared’s question. 

 

“You make me so happy,” Jared breathed out as he stood up, pulling Jensen into his arms. He crashed their lips together in a searing kiss, taking their breaths away. He licked at Jensen’s lips, searching for access to his mouth. When Jensen parted his lips, his tongue snaked in to tangle with Jensen’s, mapping his mouth. He moaned as he sucked on Jensen’s tongue and then pulled away, needing to breathe. He nipped at Jensen’s bottom lip, not willing to break full contact from Jensen’s sinful and now kiss swollen lips. Slowly, he kissed along Jensen’s jaw, moving up to his ear. His lips hovered over the shell of Jensen’s ear and he whispered, “Bedroom. Let me make love to you.” He sucked Jensen’s earlobe between his lips and gently bit down. He heard Jensen’s moan which went straight to his cock. He was instantly hard for the man pressed up against him.

 

“Yes,” Jensen breathed out and then rested his forehead against Jared’s shoulder. His breathing was coming hard and fast and his skin was flushed with want for Jared. He felt a flutter in his stomach at the thought that Jared would be making love to him for the first time. He felt the blood rush to his cock, making him hard in his jeans. He felt Jared’s hand taking his and leading him up the stairs. Jared stopped him in the hallway and pressed him up against the wall for another kiss. He felt Jared’s leg slot in between his; Jared’s thigh pressed against his throbbing cock and his large hands gripped his hips, holding him against the wall so he couldn’t move. He let his head fall back against the wall and moaned from the onslaught of desire that coursed through his body. 

 

Jared kissed along Jensen’s neck and then bit down at the junction where Jensen’s shoulder and neck met. “Want you so much,” he whispered. He felt Jensen wrap his arms around his neck and lean into him. He felt the slight tremors that ran through Jensen’s body that matched his own. He heard Jensen murmuring to him, “Want you, too”. He grinned and licked his lips in anticipation of what he was going to do to the older man he had pinned against the wall when he got him into his bedroom and naked on his bed. He peeled himself off of Jensen’s body and then pulled the green eyed man into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them to keep the dogs out of the room. The moonlight cast the room in soft shadows, but it gave them enough light to be able to see each other. Normally, Jared would have closed the blinds, but he was too mesmerized by Jensen to think about anything other than undressing them both and making love to Jensen. 

 

In a flurry of movement, Jensen found himself in Jared’s bedroom with Jared, the door closed and their clothes in a pile on the floor. He sucked in his breath at the sight of the taller man’s muscular body. He reached out and ran his hands over Jared’s pecs and down his abs and heard Jared groan from his touch. He knew Jared was well-built just by the way his clothes clung to his body, but seeing Jared naked took his breath away and had him achingly hard with want for the younger man. He looked up and saw Jared staring at him with a hungry look in his eyes. He felt his cheeks beginning to burn from the intensity of Jared’s stare. He tried to look away, only for Jared to place two fingers under his chin, stopping him from turning away.

 

Jensen’s pale freckled skin was so tempting as was the taut skin across his stomach. Jensen wasn’t as muscular as he was, but the older man’s body was well-defined. He watched as Jensen blushed from the intensity of his stare and tried to look away from him. He wasn’t having that. Jensen was captivating and he wanted Jensen to know that. He wanted those green eyes on him as he took in the sight before him. “No, don’t look away. I want to see you,” Jared said as he placed his fingers under Jensen’s chin. His voice was heated with want for the naked man in his bedroom. The thought entered his head that soon Jensen would always been in his bed, in his home, making his home theirs and it caused him to surge forward, backing Jensen up against the bed. He helped Jensen to lay on his back and then climbed on the bed in between Jensen’s legs. As he blanketed Jensen’s body with his own, he felt his cock brush against Jensen’s and he shuddered from the contact. They groaned in unison from the heated touch before he bracketed Jensen’s shoulders with his arms. He leaned down and began to kiss Jensen’s lips, sliding his tongue into the other man’s mouth; needing to taste him again. 

 

Jensen raised his hands to Jared’s shoulders and felt the ripple of Jared’s muscles under his fingers as Jared shifted above him. He gasped when Jared’s large hand slid between their bodies, taking both of their cocks in his grasp. His eyes fluttered closed as Jared’s thumb rubbed over his slit, gathering the pre-come and using it to sweeten the movement as Jared began to fist their cocks together. He raised his left leg and hooked it over Jared’s right thigh, needing to anchor himself to the larger man. He raised his head from the pillow and ran his lips along Jared’s throat. “Jared,” he moaned against the heated flesh. 

 

“I’ve got you,” Jared whispered and then shifted his body so he was angled off to Jensen’s left side. He gently let go of their throbbing cocks, reached into his nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom. He pushed the drawer closed and raised up onto his knees. He looked down through hooded eyes at Jensen as he ripped the condom package open and rolled it onto his cock. He grabbed the lube, opened it and poured some onto his fingers as he settled between Jensen’s legs again, letting the bottle fall carelessly on the bed.

 

Jensen let his legs fall open as Jared’s knees nudged his thighs further apart. He bit his bottom lip as Jared’s slicked fingers rubbed over his rim. He moaned as the tip of Jared’s finger pushed into him, slowly working into him and then pulling out only to push back in. He felt Jared add another finger, working them into his body until Jared was able to scissor his fingers, stretching him open. Jared crooked his fingers, ghosting over his prostate, pulling a moan from him as he tried to push down on the fingers, needing more. 

 

Jared smiled at hearing Jensen’s moan, knowing he was the cause of it. He latched onto one of Jensen’s nipples, pulling the sensitive nub into his mouth and bit down gently. He felt Jensen’s body buck from the unexpected sensation. He let go of the nipple in his mouth and moved over to its twin. As he sucked it into his mouth, he pushed a third finger into Jensen’s ass. He felt Jensen’s finger grasp his shoulders tighter as he worked Jensen open. When he thought Jensen was ready, easily taking his fingers without resistance, he pulled his fingers free, lined his cock up with Jensen’s ass and pushed in until he bottomed out. He let out a groan of pleasure as he was enveloped in Jensen’s tight ass. 

 

“Jared,” Jensen called out as he arched his back off the bed, his body tensing from being breached by Jared. He breathed through the burn from being stretched open on Jared’s cock, thankful that Jared was giving him time to adjust before Jared moved inside him. He heard Jared mumbling to him, “Tell me when,” and he knew Jared was asking when he could move. When he was ready, he rocked his hips, signalling to Jared that the man could move. 

 

Slowly, Jared pulled out leaving just the head of his cock spreading Jensen open and then pushed back in. Despite his prep, Jensen was tight and he was proportional; he made his movements slow and shallow until he was sure that he wouldn’t hurt the man underneath him. He crashed his lips over Jensen’s, swallowing Jensen’s moans as he began to quicken his movements. Jensen writhed beneath him, tossing his head to the side as he pulled out so only the head of his cock kept Jensen open and then he slammed back in. He gave a gutteral groan at the feeling of being enveloped by Jensen’s tight channel. 

 

Jensen cried out from pleasure as Jared hit his prostate. He bucked his hips up, meeting Jared’s thrusts. His hands ran up and down Jared’s arms, feeling Jared’s muscles shift with each movement. He arched up to meet Jared’s lips. “So close,” he breathed out as he felt his heart begin to beat faster. His breath quickened and his muscles began to tense. He let go of Jared’s arms and brought his hands up to Jared’s face. He cupped Jared’s cheeks and pulled him down for another kiss as he brought his legs up to encircle Jared’s waist, pulling Jared’s body flush with his.    

 

Jared pushed Jensen’s hands down against the bed, laced their fingers together and began to rock back and forth into Jensen’s tight channel. “God, you feel so good,” he managed to get out between gritted teeth. He felt Jensen’s muscles tighten around him and he groaned. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he came. He could feel the familiar tingle at the base of his spine, but he was determined to push Jensen over the edge first. He trailed kisses along Jensen’s jawline and down his neck until he reached Jensen’s shoulder and bit down.

 

The bite was all Jensen needed to push him over the edge. His muscles tensed and his back arched off the bed. He screamed Jared’s name as his orgasm ripped through his body. He shuddered underneath Jared’s body as he came, spilling between their bodies. He tilted his head back, his eyes were closed and his mouth was opened in a silent moan as he rode the afterwaves of his orgasm.

 

He grabbed Jensen by his hips, pushing himself further into Jensen’s lax body and began to thrust into him, chasing after his own orgasm. He pulled out, only to slam back in again. His hips stuttered as Jensen’s muscles clamped down on him like a vice, milking the orgasm from his body. “Jensen,” he yelled as he came. Slowly his breathing began to return to normal and he rolled his hips, shallowly thrusting into Jensen’s spasming channel as they both came down from their orgasms. Gently, he pulled his softening cock from Jensen’s body and rolled off of Jensen, removing his body weight from the man lying beneath him. When he was sure his legs would support him, he stumbled into the en suite to clean himself up before returning with a warm wet cloth to do the same for Jensen. Gently, he washed Jensen’s pliant body before returning to his bed. He climbed in next to Jensen, grabbed the bedcovers and pulled them up around their bodies as he settled against the pillows on his back. “Come here,” he said as he extended an arm toward Jensen. He felt the bed shift as Jensen moved to lay against him. He pulled Jensen to him so they were lying chest to chest with Jensen’s head resting on his shoulder. He craned his neck so he could kiss Jensen’s forehead. “I love you,” he said as he closed his eyes. He heard Jensen murmur “I love you,” in a sleepy voice. He felt Jensen’s fingers carding through his hair and he sighed in contentment. Jensen was all he needed was his last thought as he drifted of into sleep. 

 

As they entered the restaurant to meet Jared’s friends, they saw Chad standing by the front door. Chad jerked his chin at them and then greeted them. “Jared, about time. I was about to call you, see where the hell you were at. We’re all starving.” Chad looked Jensen over before saying anything to him. “Jensen, you’re still hanging on? Good for you man,” he said and clasped the green eyed man on the shoulder. “If you’re still with him in a month, remind me to tell you all about our adventures when we were kids. It might open your eyes about him. He was this geeky kid with long gangly limbs. He kept tripping over his own feet. No coordination whatsoever.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Jensen and then laughed. “Hard to believe, right?”

 

“Chad, shut the fuck up. You talk to much,” Jared snapped out. “Remind me again why I’m still friends with you?” He heard Chad cackle in response to his question. “No, seriously, why are you my best friend?”

 

“No one else wanted the gig, Padalecki. So, now you’re stuck with me. And you love me, just not the big ole’ gay love thing. You have Jensen for that!” Chad cackled. “Ouch, hey . . .” he whined when Jared slapped the back of his head. “Be nice.”

 

“Chad, seriously, how does your wife even put up with you?” Jared asked, cutting Chad’s complaints off.

 

“Jensen, back me up. I’m on your side,” Chad begged.

 

Jensen threw his arms up in defense. “No,” he stated with a shake of his head. “I’m not getting involved in this. You’re on your own,” he offered with a smile as he watched Jared and his best friend from childhood trade insults back and forth. He had met Chad and a few of Jared’s friends a handful of times and they had just accepted him as Jared’s boyfriend. But, he wondered as they followed Chad to the table, how Jared’s friends would react to him now being Jared’s fiance and future husband.

 

Jared’s friends had been surprised when Jared told everyone their news before anyone had had a chance to have their first cup of coffee. Jared’s best friend Chad had sat there, his mouth gaping open looking back and forth at them before finally speaking. “What about this soulmate thing? I thought that’s what you wanted?” Chad had asked in confusion. He had squinted his eyes and looked at Jensen as if he was trying to burn a hole through him. Chad was one of Jared’s friends that had a soulmate, his wife Sarah. A hush had fallen over the table as everyone had waited for Jared’s reaction. Jared had just shrugged. “I don’t need my soulmate. I have Jensen and I love him,” Jared said as he laced his and Jensen’s fingers together. Chad had given a thoughtful look and then said, “That’s good enough for me. Congratulations man. I wish you both the best. So, does this mean I’m your best man? Cause I call dibs!” Chad had exclaimed as he reached for the coffee the waitress had placed in front of him. Someone had spoken up, telling Chad that wasn’t how it worked, that Jared had to ask him to be his best man, only if Jared wanted him in that role. Chad had just shrugged at that and taken a sip of his coffee. “Still, I got dibs, I’ve known Jared the longest,” Chad grumbled good-naturedly and then shot Jared and Jensen a smile and a wink. Jensen had just chuckled at Chad while Jared just shook his head in disbelief at his friend’s antics. The rest of the Jared’s friends had offered their congratulations and had wished them well. Jared leaned into Jensen and kissed him. “See, everything’s fine,” he whispered into Jensen’s ear before pulling away from him. He looked around the table and saw happy faces smiling back at him, including Jensen’s. He settled into his chair, content with the knowledge that at least his friends had accepted Jensen, their relationship and engagement.   

 

After breakfast, they had gone back to Jensen’s apartment. He needed to check on Nico, even though she was an independant cat and he had left plenty of fresh water and food out for her the night before. Jensen frowned when Nico bypassed him in favor of a head scratching from Jared. “Traitor,” he had muttered at them both as he walked into the kitchen to give Nico fresh water and food. “Sure, I’m the one who feeds you, cleans your litter box and he’s the one that gets your affection,” he said as Nico finally appeared in the kitchen. She had rubbed up against his shin and then promptly turned her back on him in favor of her food. “Yeah, yeah,” he muttered to her. He knew she was finicky at times and was probably upset with him. She was used to having him home most of the time and never seemed to mind when he left the apartment for a few hours at a time, but last night had been the first time he hadn’t been home overnight.   

 

“Well, she’s probably mad at you for spending the night with me. But, when you move in, she’ll have us both. She won’t have to worry about who your affections lie with. Because she’ll definitely know she’s taken a backseat to my charms,” Jared said as he leaned against the doorway that led into the kitchen. He crossed his ankles and shoved his hands into his pockets and waited for Jensen’s response. 

 

Jensen spun around to stare at Jared. “Move in?” There was no way he could hide his shock at Jared’s words.

 

“Yeah, I want you to move in.” He closed the distance between them and placed his arms around Jensen. “I don’t want to wait. I want us to live together and get married as soon as possible. Our wedding doesn’t have to be anything grand, unless you want that. I’m fine with whatever you want. I just want to marry you in front of our families and our close friends. I want them to witness our love as we exchange rings.”

 

Jensen smiled at that. He wanted the same thing as Jared. He couldn’t wait to marry Jared. “When?” he asked. “When do you want me to move in? I’ll have to sublet my apartment. I have a lease and I can’t break it. But, I can move in whenever you want me to.”

 

“How about today?” Jared asked with a dimpled smile and a sparkle in his eyes. 

 

“Are you sure?” Jensen asked in surprise. He hadn’t thought Jared meant today; sure sometime in the future, but not right away. “You don’t want to think about this? I mean, I’ll understand if you do.”

 

Jared looked at Jensen and then shook his head. “What’s to think about? I love you and you love me. I thought we already established that.” He watched as Jensen shook his head in response. “So, why wait?” 

 

Jensen’s lips broke into a wide grin. “Yeah, why wait?” he echoed Jared’s words.

 

After having having settled his and Nico’s new living arrangements with Jared’s, Jensen had picked up the phone and called his parents. He heard his mother’s voice as she answered the phone. “Hey, Mom. Is Dad there? Can you get him on the phone?” He looked apprehensively at Jared as he waited for both of his parents to pick up the call. 

 

“Jensen?” his father’s voiced questioned from the other end of the line.

 

“Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you.” He took a deep breath and felt Jared’s hand on his knee, giving him a comforting squeeze. He smiled at Jared and then spoke. “Jared asked me to marry him. And I said yes!” he said excitedly. “We’re also moving in together,” he added and he wasn’t sure what his parents would react to more, the proposal or their moving in together. He had had boyfriends in the past, but he had never lived with any of them. 

 

“Oh, sweetheart, congratulations,” his mother’s happy voice gushed to him. 

 

“I see,” his father stated and he could only imagine what was going through his father’s head right now. His parents had been nothing but supportive and loving when he had come out to them right before he had left for college. But now? He wasn’t so sure his father would be too enthusiastic over this development. “So, when did this happen?” his father questioned.

 

“Last night,” Jensen admitted quietly. “Dad?” Jensen looked up at Jared and saw the concern in Jared’s eyes and knew they were reflecting what showed in his. 

 

“Last night?” his father echoed and then cleared his throat. “Is Jared there with you now?”

 

“Yes,” Jensen replied. He heard his mother’s voice in the background, asking his father what was wrong. 

 

“I would like to speak to him,” was his father’s response.

 

Jensen felt his heart stutter to a stop at his father’s reaction. It wasn’t what he had hoped for. He had hoped for his father to react the same way his mother had. He looked at Jared, his green eyes wide with fear. “My Dad wants to speak with you,” he said and handed the phone to Jared.

 

Jared looked perplexed as he took the phone from Jensen. “Mr. Ackles, Mrs. Ackles?” 

 

“Jared, you asked my son to marry you?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Jared said, sitting up straighter as he spoke to Jensen’s parents. He could hear the stern tone in Mr. Ackles voice. 

 

“While I know it isn’t the tradition anymore, I would have appreciated a phone call from you prior to you asking Jensen to marry you. But, with that being said, you have our blessing. You just better do right by our boy.” Jensen’s father let the implication of his words hang in the air for Jared to fully understand. 

 

It was the unspoken ‘ _ If you hurt my child, I’ll hurt you _ ’, that had Jared swallowing several times before he responded. “Yes sir. I plan on it. I apologize for not speaking with you before I proposed.” He heard Jensen mumble ‘not a girl’, but ignored him. “It felt like it was the right time and the only thing I thought about was popping the question right at that moment.” He rubbed his fingers across his forehead and then spoke again, “Thank you for your blessing, it means a lot.”

 

“Jared, how did your parents take the news?” Jensen’s mother asked. “I know they would prefer that you settled down with your soulmate.”

 

“They’ll come around. If not . . . Well, as much as I would like their blessing, I don’t really need it. Jensen and I love each other. That’s what matters,” he said and took Jensen’s hand in his. 

 

“We’re here if you need us,” Jensen’s mother replied.

 

“Thank you, that means a lot to me and I know it means a lot to Jensen. 

 

“Jared, please put our son back on the phone,” Jensen’s father had said to him.

 

“Of course,” he responded and handed the phone back to Jensen. 

 

“Mom, Dad?” Jensen said cautiously into the phone. He looked at Jared and then down at his feet as he bit his bottom lip. He was dreading what his parents were about to say to him, especially his father.

 

“Well,” his father started to say. “Well, I guess you have a wedding to plan. We’ll do what we can to help you.”

 

He felt his breath hitch at his father’s words. His father hadn’t come out and said it to him, but he accepted Jared as his son’s fiance and future husband. “Dad, you don’t have to. I appreciate the offer, but Jared and I are both adults. We can take care of the cost. We only want something small; just our friends and families.”

 

“Nonsense!” his father had countered back. “You’re our son. This is your wedding. You mother and I will help in some way, whether it’s covering the cost of the rehearsal dinner, paying for your tuxes, whatever we can do. We want you to be happy and Jared makes you happy. You have our blessing and our support on your engagement.”

 

He felt his throat tightening as he tried to find the words to express his thanks to his parents. He wiped at the tears that were forming in the corners of his eyes and then drew in a deep breath before speaking. “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me,” he responded quietly. 

 

“Sweetheart, we’re so happy for you, really,” he mother cut in, lightening the phone call and causing him to laugh. “Now, you and Jared make your decisions on what you want for your special day. Then, call me and tell me all about it. Maybe, I can come help you. Seating can be tricky, trying to appease everyone. Plus, cake tasting is wonderful and should be shared with your fiance and mother. Or, you can always go against the norm and have pie. I know how much you love pie.”

 

Jensen smiled at his mother’s words. “Thanks, Mom. I’ll think about your suggestions. But, somehow I don’t think cake tasting is supposed to be shared between a fiance and their parent. Unless, that’s a new tradition,” he said and then turned to Jared when he heard Jared’s laughter. He felt his cheeks heating as he drew his attention from Jared and back to his mother. “Mom, I’m gonna let you go. Jared and I have things to talk about. Plus, I need to start packing before I head back to Jared’s place.” He heard Jared correct him, ‘our place’, and shook his head. “Our place.”

 

“Okay, call us later,” his mother said before she was joined by his father, “we love you,” they told him.

 

“Love you, too,” Jensen said and hung up. “So, they’re happy.” He started to walk toward his bedroom, but was stopped by Jared.

 

“Do you want to tell me what that whole cake tasting thing was about?” Jared questioned as he cocked his head to the side showing his interest as he waited for Jensen’s answer.

 

Jensen turned red as he sputtered out his words. “My Mom . . . she wants . . .”

 

Jared shook his head. “She wants?” he asked, tying to get Jensen to speak to him.

 

“She wants to be involved in the cake tasting?” He shot Jared an apologetic smile. “She loves cake,” he offered with a shrug of his shoulders. “Then again, she also suggested pie instead of cake because she knows how much I love pie.”

 

Jared raised an eyebrow at Jensen’s statement. He, himself, had a severe sweet tooth and he always had a bag of gummy bears lying around in case he needed a sugary fix. He also knew how much Jensen loved pie. The man always had pie in his fridge and he had teased Jensen on more than one occasion when they had been out to dinner and Jensen had pouted when he had been informed that the restaurant didn’t have pie on the menu for dessert. “How about I feed you pie in bed, or lick it off of you?” he offered and watched as Jensen blushed again causing his freckles to stand out against his heated skin. He wanted to play connect the dots with those freckles and then run his tongue over Jensen’s fair skin until the man was a squirming mess and begging to be fucked. 

 

“Uhm . . .” was Jensen’s response. He ran his hand through his hair and then rubbed at the back of his neck. Was that even a thing, he wondered to himself. Jared wasn’t the first man he had been intimate with, but no one had ever made him an offer like that. They had never really discussed past lovers, and it wasn’t like he would readily admit that aside from Jared, he had only had four boyfriends in his thirty-three years. He had ended things with his last boyfriend nearly two years ago and until he had met Jared, there hadn’t been anyone in his life. This would also be the first and only time he would be living with someone. While he had been lonely, he hadn’t been looking for someone to start a relationship with when he had met Jared. Apparently, Fate had another idea for him.

 

“Jensen?” Jared questioned when all he got for a response from Jensen was ‘Uhm’. He wasn’t sure what had caused Jensen to become quiet or blush, even though that look on Jensen lit a fire in his gut. He wanted to push Jensen up against the wall and kiss him senseless until the reason Jensen’s skin was flushed was because of him. 

 

“Uhm,” Jensen repeated. He struggled to find the words to tell Jared what was going on in his head. He rubbed at the nape of his neck again and looked down at his feet; too self-conscious to meet Jared’s hazel eyes. He was out of his depth here. “Is that . . . the pie thing . . . licking it . . . off me . . . is that normal?” He closed his eyes and waited for Jared to laugh at him. He felt warm hands against his cheeks, tilting his head up.

 

“Jensen, look at me,” Jared requested quietly. 

 

He did look at Jared and saw only love reflected at him through Jared’s eyes. “I’ve only had a handful of boyfriends.” He saw Jared’s questioning look. “Including you, only five. And only aside from you, I’ve only slept with two other people,” he finally admitted and felt himself cringe. He knew this made him sound inexperienced. And maybe he was. It was just, he had never felt the desire to ‘sow his wild oats’. He had been a quiet child growing up, never really seeking out the popular crowd. He had a few close friends that he had hung out with from grade school through high school and still kept in touch with them, his best friend Chris being one. For him, college had been about learning what he needed to for his degree and getting the best education, graduating and finding a job he loved. 

 

“You’re something else, Ackles,” Jared purred as he leaned in to kiss Jensen’s lips. He heard the soft gasp from Jensen. “We’ll never do anything that makes you uncomfortable. And no, I don’t think the pie thing is a normal part of sex. But, it could be for us.” He laughed when he saw Jensen’s eyes widen. “I’ll admit, I’ve been with a few more people than you, but I didn’t sleep around either. No one would ever call me chaste, but they also wouldn’t call me a manwhore either. There’s no reason to dredge up our past relationships. Let the past stay in the past. What matters is that we’re together, we’re faithful to each other and that we love each other.”  

 

Jensen thought over the time he had taken Jared home to Richardson to meet his parents. They had made the three-plus hour drive together a fun experience. They sang to the radio, played games; Twenty-one questions, I Spy, License Plate and listened to a book on CD that they both had been interested in. “Well, we’re here,” Jensen said as they pulled up to his parents’ modest home. He had such fond memories of growing up there. His best friend, Christian had lived next door to him their entire lives and they had even gone to college together. Chris’ parents still lived there and their parents were the best of friends. Chris had been the first person he had come out to his senior year in high school and Chris had given him the courage he had needed to tell his parents he was gay. 

 

His parents had just looked at him for a moment before his father had responded, “Oh, I thought you had bad news to tell us.” 

 

His mother had hugged him. “So, do you have a boyfriend we should know about or is there someone you’re interested in?” she had asked.

 

“Mom!” He had ducked his head to hide his blush and shock at his mother’s forwardness. 

 

“You’re not upset or surprised?” he had managed to question them when he had recovered enough from their reactions to speak.

 

“No, should we be?” his father had inquired. “Son we don’t care. As long as you’re happy , that’s all that matters to us.”

 

He smiled at that memory; how his parents had made it so easy for him to just be himself. Chris’ parents had followed their example, not caring about his sexual orientation or fear that he might have ‘corrupted’ their son. “Come on, let me introduce you,” he had said as he pulled Jared along behind him and into the house. “Mom, Dad?” he had called out and heard his mother’s voice calling to him, telling him they were in the kitchen. He had walked in to the kitchen, followed by Jared to find his parents and Chris sitting at the kitchen table. A wide smile had spread across his face at seeing the people who mattered to him the most, aside from Jared.

 

Jared watched as a stocky man seeming to be the same age as Jensen stood and enveloped Jensen in a hug. “Jensen, good to see you. Missed you,” the man said and then turned his blue eyes on him. The man gave him a tight smile before whispering something to Jensen that had Jensen laughing. He felt a spark of possessiveness in the pit of his stomach. Who was this man touching Jensen, making him smile, making him laugh?

 

Jensen laughed when Chris had whispered to him, ‘What, you couldn’t find anyone taller to date?’ Jensen broke their hug and turned to Jared, his green eyes twinkling with happiness. “Mom, Dad, Chris, this is Jared. Jared, my parents and my best friend, Christian Kane. We’ve lived next to each other since we were little.”

 

Kane nodded at Jared and then offered him his hand, “Nice to meet ya,” Kane said as he eyed Jared up and down and then turned to Jensen after shaking Jared’s hand. “Seriously, there was no one taller you could date?” Jensen joined in his laughter and then he slapped a hand over Jared’s shoulder. “Just messing with ya,” he said.

 

Jared smirked at the shorter man, knowing that he was being tested by the best friend. “Nice to meet you,” he said before he turned his attention to Jensen’s family. “Mr. and Mrs. Ackles, thank you for inviting me into your home.”

 

“We’re happy to have you here,” Jensen’s father responded.

 

“Sit, you must be starving and thirsty after that drive. Dinner should be ready shortly,” Jensen’s mother had said as she indicated an empty chair to him. 

 

“Thank you,” he replied as he sat down across from Chris. He looked up to see Chris’ blue eyes looking at him; studying him. He cocked his head to the side and looked back at the man, a slight smile on his face. He knew what the man was doing, Chris was trying to determine if he was good enough for Jensen.   

 

Jensen pulled open the fridge and rummaged around in it, pulled out three bottles of beer and brought them back to the table. He placed one in front of Jared, one in front of Chris and then sat and opened his beer. “So, Kane, you just happened to be in town when I was bringing Jared home to meet my parents?” he questioned as he brought the bottle to his lips. 

 

“No, Mom called and told me you would be here. Had to meet the boyfriend for myself. Make sure he’s worthy of you,” Kane teased before taking a sip from his beer.

 

Hearing his mother requesting his help, Jensen stood and glared at Kane. “Play nice,” he said as he left the table.

 

“Always do,” Kane called after him and was met with a snort from Jensen. 

 

“Yeah, right,” Jensen called over his shoulder. He returned a few minutes later with plates and silverware and began to set the table. “Sorry, I didn’t know Kane was gonna be here. Had I known, I would have postponed the parental meet and greet and saved you from the torture of meeting him.”

 

“Fucker,” Kane muttered under his breath at Jensen. Jensen just laughed as he finished setting the table as his parents appeared carrying in the pot roast, mashed potatoes and carrots. 

 

“Well everyone, dig in,” Jensen’s mother said as she spooned a helping of potatoes onto her plate. 

 

“This is fantastic Mrs. Ackles,” Jare complemented as he ate.

 

“Thank you, Jared,” she stated as she beamed with pride.

 

They talked about work; learning what Jared did for a living, what project Jensen was working on and what Chris had been up to; opening a new bar. “So, Jared, how did you and Jensen meet?” Chris inquired.

 

“I hit him with a ball,” he winced remembering the embarrassing moment. “I was in the park with my dogs, tossing the ball to them and I ended up hitting Jensen in the shoulder.” He heard the others laugh and continued. “To apologize and make sure he was alright, I offered to take him out for dinner.”

 

“Smooth,” Kane muttered and then jumped when Jensen kicked him under the table. “Ouch,” he whined as Jensen reminded him to play nice.

 

“We hit it off. Never thought I’d have so much in common with someone who wasn’t my soulmate.”

 

“Excuse me?” Jensen’s father responded as he dropped his fork onto his plate. He looked over at his son. “It seems Jensen left that important detail out. Jensen, Jared is destined for a soulmate. You can’t just overlook that.”

 

“Jensen?” his mother quietly said. “Sweetheart . . .” she was cut off by Kane.

 

“What the Hell Jensen? You really know how to pick ‘em,” Kane proclaimed with a shake of his head. “This is crazy!”

 

Jensen looked at his parents and Chris in shock. He hadn’t been expecting them to react like this. He felt Jared’s hand on his arm, comforting him. “Look, I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to meet Jared first; get to know him.”

 

“I know it seems like this is impossible for us to overcome, but I love Jensen. We’re happy together,” Jared added.

 

“What’s gonna happen when you meet your soulmate?” Jensen’s mother inquired.

 

“Nothing. I don’t think he exists. If he did, I would have met him by now,” Jared said with conviction.

 

“If you hurt him, I will hurt you. No, I will kill you,” Kane grunted at Jared.

 

“Stop, just please stop,” Jensen pleaded. “I’m an adult. I get to make my own decisions. We love each other, we’re happy together. Can’t you just be happy for me?” 

 

“We just don’t want to see this end in heartbreak,” his mother responded. “But, you’re right. You’re an adult and we don’t have the right to interfere or tell you what to do.”

 

“And how do your parents feel about this?” Jensen’s father asked.

 

“They weren’t very happy. Everyone in my family has met and settled down with their soulmate, but me,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “But, I don’t really care if they’re happy. They’re not the ones in love with Jensen, I am.” His words seemed to ease the tension in the room. Kane still gave him angry looks when he thought Jared wasn’t looking, but the rest of the night went by without any other issues. 

 

When they were getting ready to leave, Kane issued his warning to Jared again and then hugged Jensen. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I just don’t wanna see you hurt,” he said as he pulled away from Jensen.

 

Mr. Ackles shook Jared’s hand. “As long as you make my son happy, then who am I to object?” He turned to Jensen, “Next time don’t keep such an important aspect of your relationship with Jared a secret.” He hugged Jensen, letting go as Jensen’s mother wrapped her arms around him.

 

“We love you,” she said before turning to give Jared a hug. “It was nice to finally meet you, Jared.” She grabbed their hands in hers, “Things have a way of working it, if it’s meant to be. Drive safely and call us,” she said as she walked them to the door.

 

“Jensen?” Jared called to him, bringing him back to the present. “We should pack what you need to take with us now. Then we can come back for the rest later. Jax and Luna will probably be wondering where we are.”

 

“What? Oh right.” He started for his bedroom and stopped. “Jared, do you think my Mom was right? That things have a way of working out it they’re meant to be?” He sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth as he waited for Jared’s answer.

 

“Yeah, yeah I do. Why?”

“Just wondering. You don’t think Jax and Luna will try to eat Nico thinking she’s a chew toy, do you?” he asked worriedly.

Jared gave a laugh, “No, somehow I don’t think she’ll ever let that happen. One swat to the nose and those two big babies will be cowering before her.”

Jensen sighed in relief. He just wanted everything to work out for them, all of them. “Come on, help me pack and then we’ll wrestle Nico into her carrier. She can be pretty fierce.”

“I have no doubt,” Jared replied with a chuckle as he followed Jensen into his bedroom. 

That night, he and Nico had moved into Jared’s house. At first Nico hadn’t know what to make of the two very large and very friendly dogs, but by the end of the second day, she had made it know to everyone that she was top cat and that the dogs took a backseat to her. She had demonstrate that by climbing up onto the bed and claiming a spot to sleep on right between Jared and Jensen. “Don’t get used to this,” Jared had muttered as he ran his long fingers threw Nico’s soft fur. He heard Jensen laugh and respond with a ‘Yeah, right’, as Jensen had drifted off to sleep. He heard the dogs both whining and looked over the side of the bed to see two sets of pitiful eyes looking up at him. “Don’t you two start. There’s not enough room for everyone and you both know you’re not allowed on the furniture. I still love you both,” he said as he rolled over and joined Jensen in sleep. 

By the end of the first week of their living together, Jensen had moved his clothing and computer equipment for his job into Jared’s home. He had managed to actually find someone to sublet his apartment; a friend who had been looking for a place stay since she had been relocated for work. To Jensen and Jared, it was like the universe wanted everything to work out for them and the missing pieces of their lives had fallen into place. They were both happy and in love with each other.

As Jensen had packed his belongings, he thought over things; how happy he had been, how sure he had been that things would work out with Jared despite Jared being destined to be with his soulmate, how the universe was a cruel bitch who had allowed him to find happiness with the man he loved only to snatch it away from him. Jared was now with Connor; getting to know the man he had been destined to be with. He knew Jared’s parents would be over the moon with that knowledge; that Jared had finally met his soulmate. 

Jensen remembered Jared’s family’s reaction to their dating. He knew their reaction hadn’t been favorable when Jared had told them of their engagement. While they had been cordial to him, they hadn’t been receptive to the idea that he and Jared were engaged. He had seen the looks of utter shock on Jared’s parents’ faces when Jared had announced that they were engaged. His mother looked like she was ready to have a coronary and Jared’s father had just walked out of the room without saying a word. Whatever Jared’s parents might have said to him in private, Jared had kept it to himself. 

Thankfully, there had only been a few comments from Jared’s siblings when Jared had announced they were living together. Jared’s brother had just looked at them and then turned toward Jared. “Are you sure about this? I mean, nothing against Jensen, he’s a nice guy. But, Jared, he’s not your soulmate,” had been Jared’s older brother’s reaction. Jared’s sister, the youngest of the three had looked at them and then smiled. She never took her eyes off of him as she spoke. “You’re making a mistake. A big mistake,” she had said and then turned her attention to Jared. “But, if this is what makes you happy, then who am I to stand in your way?” All Jensen could do at the time was smile through the cutting words. He had known there was no way to win them over. They had grown up with the idea of finding a soulmate. They each had found their soulmate. After Jared’s siblings had made their few comments, they had finally congratulated them on their engagement, even if the hadn’t seemed overly thrilled. They had at least seemed to accept their relationship. 

It had been a chance meeting with Connor a week before he and Jared were to be married when the inevitable had happened. The man had been in town for a business meeting. One that Jared had been involved with for his family’s company. Padalecki Engineering had been looking to branch out into other states; to capitalize on their Civil engineering division by obtaining contracts to design, build and maintain several projects that were being proposed for roads, bridges, and sewerage systems for new housing developments. 

Jare sat at his desk, looking over his proposal that he was due to deliver to the potential client he would be meeting with soon. He pulled out his cell phone and sent a quick text to Jensen.

_ JP: Hey, just thought you’d want to know that I love you and can’t wait to marry you next week. _

_ JA: Who’s this? I’m already engaged and my fiance won’t take kindly to some random stranger propositioning me. _

_ JP: I just realized I’m marrying a crazy person. _

_ JA: Yeah, but you love me. _

_ JP: Yeah, I do. _

_ JA: Remember that phrase for our wedding. _

_ JP: I love you. _

_ JA: Love you, too. Good luck today. _

Jared chuckled as he dropped his cell phone on his desk. A knock on his office door pulled Jared from his thoughts on Jensen; how in a week he would be marrying the man he loved. “Yes,” he called out.

Patty, his secretary opened the door and stuck her head in. “Jared, Connor Lyons is here for your meeting.”

“Thanks, Patty. Send him in,” he replied as he straightened up his desk. He stood as the man, Connor, entered his office. With a smile Jared extended his hand and shook the man’s hand standing before him. He felt the spark as their fingers touched. He gasped and looked down at their joined hands. Pulling his eyes away, he looked into the man’s shocked brown eyes. “You’re my . . .”

“Soulmate,” the man, Connor, finished. Connor pulled his hand away and rubbed the skin on the back of his hand. “This can’t be happening. I had given up on finding my soulmate.”

“Me, too,” Jared breathed out and then sat down. The shock of finally meeting his soulmate had made his legs buckle. His first thought went to Jensen. How was he going to explain this to the man he was marrying in a week? He couldn’t even wrap his mind around this. He had no idea what to do. 

“So, what do we do now?” Connor asked as he sank down into the chair in front of Jared’s desk. 

“I don’t know,” Jared said as he ran his hands through his hair. “I have no clue. I’m engaged to someone else. We’re getting married in a week.”

“Yeah, I’m living with someone. I had proposed to Brett right before I left on this trip. He was putting together venues for us to look at when I got back,” Connor offered with a weak smile. “I guess I should call him. Tell him what’s happened.” Connor placed his hands on the edge of Jared’s desk. “We at least owe it to each other to get to know one another, don’t you think?”

Jared tried to breathe. His head was spinning with the idea of his soulmate’s existence. That the man was sitting right in front of him. “Yeah, we should probably talk. I need to talk to Jensen, explain things to him. Tell him I need some time to figure things out.” After the initial shock had worn off, he and Connor had been able to focus on the reason for their meeting. They had gone over the proposals and had signed an agreement, giving Padalecki Engineering the contracts for the job the business had been hoping for. After their meeting had concluded, Jared had raced home to find that Jensen had been out. That gave him the time he needed to get his head together. He had packed a bag and called his parents. He hastily explained things to them and asked if he and the dogs could stay with them until he figured things out. Of course, his mother’s reaction had been one that he had expected. “Jared, what’s to figure out? You’ve finally met your soulmate. It seems pretty simple to me. It’s time to end this farce with Jensen,” his mother has said. His father had interjected at that point. “Jared, you’re always welcome here. Take the time you need to figure things out. But, you have finally found your soulmate. I do think it’s clear as to what happens next,” his father had said before they had hung up. 

He had just dropped his bag at the door and had been about to load a few of Luna and Jax’s toys into his truck when the front door had opened and he turned to see Jensen walking in carrying their mail. “Jensen,” he breathed out and then he looked away from the man standing by the front door. His heart thudded to a stop as he tried to find the words he needed to even try to explain things to Jensen. “I have to tell you something,” he said solemnly.

The smile that had graced his lips from seeing Jared home early, slipped from his face. He looked at Jared only to find that the younger man wasn’t looking at him. “Jared, what is it? Is something wrong?” He felt his insides ice over as he waited for Jared to say something, anything to him.

“I met . . .” Jared drew in a slow breath and then pushed it out of his lungs. “I met my soulmate today. Connor, he was the one I was having the meeting. We touched and . . .” Jared rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “It just happened, the pull.”

Jensen made a choked off noise, but remained silent after that. He had no idea what to say or how to even react to Jared’s bombshell of news. He just knew with certainty that his life was about to change and not for the better. 

“Nothing happened between us. But, Connor . . .” He offered a weak smile to Jensen. “I owe it to him to at least get to know him. To see if there’s a possibility . . .” Jared let his words trail off, not knowing how to say anything else without hurting Jensen more than he already was.

“Oh,” Jensen said in response to the news Jared had hit him with. What else could he say? He looked down at his feet, not wanting to look at Jared; to let Jared see his heartbreak at that news. “Give me a little time and I’ll pack my things. I can be out in an hour,” he had managed to tell Jared without crying.

“Jensen, I just need a little time to sort things out. See what’s right for me. But, I’m not going to make you leave our home. I’ve already made arrangements for me and the dogs to stay with my parents,” Jared had said to Jensen. “We’ll figure this out. I’ll call you. We’ll talk every day. I promise,” Jared said as he had kissed Jensen goodbye. He forced himself to hold back his tears as he leashed the dogs, grabbed his packed duffle bag and left Jensen standing at the front door. He couldn’t look at the older man, not until he could say with certainty what his decision was; who he wanted to spend his life with, Jensen or Connor. 

He had watched as Jared had climbed into his truck with the dogs and driven away. He had slumped to the floor and cried. He had wrapped his arms around himself and sat there until he felt Nico brushing up against him. He heard her pitiful meow for attention, or was it in commiseration of heartache? He forced himself to his feet and walked into the kitchen to feed his cat. He heard Nico softly padding behind him and then her purr as he filled her bowl with food. “Well, at least I still have you,” he said as he set the bowl down. 

He pulled out his cell phone, took a seat at the kitchen table and made the first of several phone calls. The call was picked up on the third ring and he heard his mother’s happy voice answer the phone. “Jensen, I was just about to call you.”

“Hi, Mom,” he whispered and then began to cry at the thought of what he was about to say to his parents.

“Jensen, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” his mother’s concerned voice called to him. Then he heard her calling for his father. His father’s voice joined his mother’s. “Jensen, son, talk to us. What’s wrong?”

“Jared . . . he met . . . his soulmate,” he gasped out as a sob tore from his body. “I’ve lost him.” 

“No, Jensen,” his mother said. “That boy loves you.”

“Loved. Jared loved me. He’s always hoped for his soulmate. You know as well as I do what that means.”

“Where are you? Where’s Jared?” his father had asked.

“Home. I’m home and Jared’s gone to his parents. He needs some time to figure thing out. He wants to get to know Connor.”

“Come home,” his father said, as if that would fix things; mend his broken heart. And he liked the appeal of that, to run back home and let his parents take care of him while he tried to piece back together his shattered heart. But, he couldn’t. He couldn’t just run away, he had his job to think about. He couldn’t lose that and he had to deal with things. He had decisions to make. He had to be an adult. 

“Dad, I can’t. I have things to take care of. I need to make some phone calls. Cancel the . . . wedding,” he breathed out. He squeezed his eyes closed as the weight of his words began to crush him. 

“Jensen, don’t do anything right now. Give Jared a chance,” his mother suggested.

“Yeah, maybe. I need to go. I think I need to lay down.”

“We love you. We’re here if you need us,” his mother said.

“I still think you should come home,” his father responded.

“I’ll call you later. Love you, too,” he said and ended the call. He wiped at his eyes, brushing away the tears and made his next call. He heard the line being picked up. 

“Allan House, how may I direct your call?”

“This is Jensen Ackles, may I speak to Mark?” A moment later his call was transferred to Mark, the event planner for the Allen House. When they had been looking for a venue, he had remember attending a wedding there a few years back. He had liked the historic Victorian home which was situated right in the heart of Austin. Jared had like it as well and they had both agreed that was where they wanted to get married. They had planned a small wedding ceremony with just their families and close friends in attendance.

“Jensen, how are you? Just a week away. You must be looking forward to the big day. Don’t worry, everything is in order,” Mark assured him.

“Mark, I’m calling to let you know that there’s been a development. Jared and I . . . We won’t be getting married.” He balled up his left hand into a fist, and dug his blunt nails into the palm of his hand to stop himself from crying. 

Mark could hear the sorrow in Jensen’s voice. “Jensen, maybe it’s just cold feet. It happens. A lot. You’d be surprised, but things have a way of working themselves out. Maybe you can postpone things. We can always look at other dates.”

“No. I won’t be,” he took a ragged breath and then continued. “Maybe Jared can still use the date. But, not with me. He met his soulmate.” He heard the sharp intake of breath from the man he was speaking to and knew that Mark understood why he was calling the wedding off. “So, yeah . . .” 

“I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?” Mark inquired.

“Do you think you can call the vendors? Maybe explain things? Tell them to refund the money to Jared if he doesn’t want to use our date? He paid for almost everything. Or, maybe they can work something out with him for the future,” he offered, feeling as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he conveyed what he was dealing with.

“Of course, whatever you need. Again, I’m so sorry this is happening to you. For what it’s worth, I can tell you, Jared loved you. He had that look of someone in love when he looked at you.”

“Thanks. I need to . . .” Jensen trailed off. He had no idea what else to say to Mark. Jared had loved him. Had. Past tense. 

“Sure, sure. Take care of yourself and call if things change or in the future you’re in need of our services,” Mark said as they ended the call. 

Jensen slumped down in his chair, dropped his phone onto the table and placed his head in his hands. He felt his vision blacking out and he blinked several times, trying to get himself under control. With a shaking hand he picked up his phone and dialed another phone number. He heard that familiar drawl as Chris picked up the call.

“Jensen, my man, how are you?” Chris questioned.

“Kane,” he said in a small voice. He rubbed at his eyes and then drew in a deep breath.

“Jensen, what’s wrong?” Kane could hear the other man’s labored breathing and then he heard Jensen crying. “Jensen, talk to me!” He was beginning to panic at hearing his best friend crying and knew whatever it was, had to be bad. He knew Jensen; the man was strong. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen or heard Jensen cry. Finally, he heard Jensen’s wrecked voice speaking to him.

“It’s over, me and Jared,” Jensen said in a distraught voice and then he sucked in a labored breath.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Kane shot back. This made no sense to him. Jensen and Jared loved each other. The were getting married in a week. There was no way they could have just ended things.  

“He met his soulmate. Jared’s always wanted that, held out hope for that. And he finally has that. It’s over. There’s no coming back from that.”

“Where are you, right now? Where’s Jared?” Kane demanded.

“I’m home. Jared . . . he left. He’s staying at his parent’s house.” He sniffled. “They never wanted Jared and me together. They’re probably welcoming Connor into the fold as we speak,” he laughed harshly at that thought.

“Wait, you’re at the house? The one you share with Jared. So, that means he’s coming back, right,” Kane reasoned.

“Yeah,” Jensen said, not really believing that Jared would be coming back to him. When Jared returned, it would be to ask him to leave so that Jared would be able to move on with Connor. “He said he needed time to figure things out. What’s to figure out? He finally has what he’s always wanted, his soulmate.”

“Jensen, I’m on my way,” Kane stated.

“No, you don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to, I want to. You’re my best friend and you’re hurting,” Kane said quietly.

“No, I need to handle things on my own. You can’t hold my hand through this. I have to do this by myself. Jared said he’d call; that we’d talk every day. I’ve already called my parents and the venue. Everything’s being canceled as we speak. Can you just call our friends and tell them for me? I don’t want to keep explaining things. Please,” Jensen asked wearily. He felt what little energy he had draining from his body.  

“Whatever you need, I’ve got your back. You’re sure you don’t want me to drive up? I’ll stay as long as you need me. You don’t have to deal with this alone,” Kane offered, trying to ease his friend’s pain.

“Thanks, I appreciate the offer. But, right now, I just want to be alone. I’ll call you later,” Jensen said and ended the call, not giving Kane a chance to argue with him. He tossed his phone back onto the table and forced himself to his feet. He staggered into the living room, up the stairs and into the bedroom he shared with Jared. He crawled onto the bed and laid down, facing Jared’s side of the bed. He reached out and ran his hand over Jared’s cold pillow. His breathing hitched as the tears began to fall. He closed his eyes and buried his face into Jared’s pillow, taking in the scent of Jared. That night, he cried himself to sleep, wishing that he was Jared’s soulmate.

The sound of the phone ringing pulled Jensen from his restless sleep. He rolled over and grabbed it, placing the receiver to his ear. “He . . . hello?” His voice was scratchy from lack of use and the crying he had done the night before.

“Jensen?” Jared said. He could hear Jensen’s wrecked voice and his ragged breathing and his heart clenched from the pain he had caused Jensen.

“Jared,” Jensen said dully as he sat up, trying to get his bearings, only to have everything come crashing down on him. He bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back the sob that was threatening to shake loose from his very soul. 

“I just wanted to call. Tell you that I love you,” Jared said softly. “That I never thought this would happen.” 

“I know. But it did and you need to follow your heart,” Jensen responded, feeling his own heart ache with those words. “What we had . . . It was good.”

Jared could hear the pain in Jensen’s voice. It matched his own. He wiped at his tears as they slid down his cheeks. “Jensen, it’s not over. We’re not over. I just need some time. It’s all too confusing.” Jared sniffled. “Just don’t give up on me, on us,” he pleaded.

“I love you,” Jensen whispered into the phone. Just then, Nico jumped onto the bed and headbutted Jensen in the chest, meowing loudly to get his attention. “I gotta go. Nico needs to be fed.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Jared promised as they ended the call.

“Yeah, okay,” Jensen said as he hung the phone up. 

The next few days were a blur for Jensen. He had made it through the weekend, but he missed Jared terribly. He had stopped sleeping in their bed and slept on the couch. He couldn’t take lying there in the bed without Jared. He ached to feel Jared next to him; to feel Jared’s arms around him or hear the comforting sound of Jared’s heartbeat as he drifted off to sleep. The bed was too big without Jared there and the house was too quiet without Jared, Jax and Luna. He lost himself in his work, finding comfort in it so he didn’t just shut down completely. He felt the loss of Jared, especially when he hadn’t heard from him on Thursday. He knew then that he needed to make some decisions, as hard as they would be. 

Jared had been true to his words, and he did call Jensen. The calls were brief, asking how Jensen was and all too often, they were cut short by Jared having to go into a meeting. The worst call had been when Jensen heard Jared speaking to someone and he had realized that the other voice he heard was Connor’s voice. Jared had been with Connor when Jared had called him. His heart shattered a little more that day. That Wednesday had been the day he had set his plan in motion. He had called and arranged to stop by the local packing and shipping company the next day to have a tow kit and cargo trailer attached to his car. He had started packing his belongings and had made plans with a friend to drop Nico off. Nico would be able to stay with her until Jensen found a place that would allow pets, wherever that was. He knew he wouldn’t move too far away; his parents were still in the area and he just couldn’t stay in Jared’s home any longer. Jared would soon be coming back with Connor and it would be best if he had already cleared out. He didn’t want to deal with the awkward conversation between himself and Jared with Jared asking him to move out of what had been their home. Thursday, he hadn’t received a call from Jared and had still held out hope that he would. That Jared would realize he hadn’t called him and despite the time being late at night, that Jared would still call him, even if it was just to wish him goodnight. By Friday, there still had been no call from Jared and he had known at that point that it was truly over between them. He had finished packing, dropped Nico and everything she would need off at his friend’s home and had come back to what he had now taken to calling Jared’s home. It was no longer his and Jared’s home, if it had ever really been that. He had stopped sleeping in the bed they had shared, preferring to sleep on the couch. He had several hours of work to get through before he unplugged his equipment and packed it up in the morning so he could leave. He had notified his employer that he was moving, but that he was still available if he was needed. He had booked a hotel in the same city as the company he worked for and planned to start looking for an apartment to call his own when Monday rolled around. At least he had a plan that he could focus on instead of the pain of losing Jared. 

Jared sat at his desk, staring out the window at the blue sky and the soft clouds. He couldn’t concentrate on his work, no matter what he tried to do. Jared’s phone beeped, indicating he had received a text. He picked up his phone to see who the message was from and he sighed when he saw it was from Chad. 

_ CMM: What the Hell are you doing? _

Reading the cryptic text, he knew he had to reply to Chad to find out exactly what his best friend was messaging him about. He typed he reply.

_ JP: What? _

_ CMM: Heard from your fam that you left Jensen for your soulmate.  _

_ JP: Let me guess, my Mom?! _

_ CMM: I plead the fifth. _

_ JP: Like it matters! _

_ CMM: What’s wrong with you? What are you doing? _

_ JP: Thanks for the words of encouragement and understanding. _

_ CMM: You called things off with Jensen? I thought you were happy. _

_ JP: Things are on hold with Jensen while I’m trying to figure everything out.  _

_ CMM: What’s to figure out? _

_ JP: Stay out of things.  _

_ CMM: You know I’ll back you, whatever you decide. I’ll tell our friends to chill and wait to hear from you. _

_ JP: Thanks. _

Jared tossed his phone aside. He was irritated that his family, most likely his mother, had the nerve to get involved in his life like this. It was bad enough having to deal with things as they were. He didn’t need or want other people’s opinions on what he should do. He needed time to figure things out. Jensen understood that, why couldn’t everyone else? 

While Connor was good looking, he really didn’t appeal to Jared. He had dark hair that was nearly black and was olive skinned; not the light brown hair or fair colored skin he found so appealing. He didn’t have a smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose, but a birthmark under his left eye. His eyes weren’t green, but dark brown and they weren’t framed by long dark lashes that seemed to kiss his cheeks when he blinked. And Connor’s lips were thin, not full and tempting for him to nip at his bottom lip. To top it off, the man was under six feet in height. There was just something off about the man’s appearance and he couldn’t put his finger on it.

They had nothing in common. Connor didn’t like sports. Connor read, but he prefered Non-fiction to Science Fiction or Fantasy and he had never understood the use of playing video games. To him it was a waste of time. Connor never touched beer and the thought of traveling bored him to tears. The only music Connor would even consider listening to was Classical and Jared would have rather stabbed himself in the ear with a pencil than have to listen to Classical music in any setting other than being in an elevator. And, to make matters worse, Connor had a strong dislike for pets, especially dogs. Connor didn’t even want to meet Jax and Luna. When Connor had come for dinner at his parent’s home the first time, Jared had to lock the dogs away. It broke his heart to do that and to hear their pitiful whines. Connor had made several comments about Jared’s dogs and the fact that Jared always seemed to have dog fur on him. “You know, they make lint brushes just for that issue,” Connor had commented and then he had even said to Jared, “So, your dogs were rescue animals? They would be used to being in a kennel, right? So it wouldn’t be upsetting for them to find themselves in a shelter again. I mean, they’re just pets.” That had horrified Jared; the thought of giving up Jax and Luna. Connor clearly hadn’t understood that they weren’t pets, they were his babies. There was no way he was willing to part with Jax and Luna. 

Jared realized late Thursday night after saying goodnight to Connor that he hadn’t called Jensen that day. He cursed himself for his thoughtlessness. He had made a promise to Jensen and had broken it. He looked at his watch and groaned. It was nearly eleven at night and he hadn’t spent any time with his dogs. He needed to break them out of their confinement now that Connor had left his parent’s house. He opened the door to his old bedroom and stood there, waiting for his dogs to greet him. They both lay huddled together by the bed. They picked their heads up and eyed him before huffing at him. “What? I know, you’re both mad at me for locking you up. Come on, I’ll take you outside to play for a few minutes. I promise, I’ll give you extra treats and playtime tomorrow.” Luna got up and walked toward him as Jax huffed at him again. “Look, Connor isn’t fond of animals,” he offered apologetically. Luna brushed up against him looking for his affection. “Come on Jax.”

“Connor is just so sweet,” his mother said from behind him, startling him. He glanced over his shoulder at her and shrugged. “He’s perfect for you. I’m so happy you’ve finally found your soulmate. You can finally move on and end this relationship with Jensen.” 

At the mention of Jensen’s name Jax stood up and barked. The dog pushed past him and his mother and then stopped in the hallway. Jared turned to look at the dog; waiting for him to walk in the direction of the stairs. Jax looked around and then up at Jared and then whined. He vaguely heard his mother speaking, but zoned in when he heard Jensen’s name again. At the sound of Jensen’s name both dogs barked and took off, running down the hall and stairs, practically skidding to a stop at the door. He tried to call the dogs to him, but they paced back and forth in front of the door as if they were expecting it to open. When it didn’t, they both dropped to the floor and whined. He followed his dogs to see what they were doing.

“Jared, I was speaking to you,” his mother called as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. She was joined by his father. “What’s going on? It’s getting late,” his father added. His mother turned to his father, “We were talking about Connor, how he’s perfect for Jared.” At the sound of Connor’s name, Jax growled and Luna whined. “What is wrong with those dogs? I swear, they used to be so well behaved. No wonder Connor isn’t a fan of them,” his mother commented. And again the dogs gave the same reaction at the mention of Connor. “Before, they were quiet. You never knew they were around, this all started when Jensen moved in,” his mother barely finished saying before both dogs were up and barking at the mention of Jensen. Then it dawned on him; they missed Jensen and they were looking for him. They looked as forlorn as he felt at the moment. 

“Come on, let’s get you two outside for a few minute and then maybe you’ll settle,” he said as he tried to herd them toward the back door. Seeing that they weren’t being easily fooled, he whispered Jensen’s name and they quickly scrambled to follow him. He chuckled at what he had just witnessed with his dogs. He reached into his pocket to grab his phone to call Jensen and give him an account of what had just transpired when he saw that the time was nearly midnight. With a shake of his head, he sighed. He’d have to call Jensen in the morning. “Okay you two, let’s go,” he called to the dogs to get them back inside and upstairs. 

On the way back to his old room, his father stopped him. “You’re mother has invited everyone over tomorrow night to meet Connor. She can’t wait for everyone to meet your perfect soulmate,” he said and then wished his son a good night as he disappeared down the hall.

Jared looked at his dogs as he closed his bedroom door. “I’m not so sure he’s perfect for me,” he muttered as he climbed into bed. He heard Jax and Luna settle on the floor next to the bed. He closed his eyes and willed sleep to come.

Jared found himself dreading Friday night as he worked through lunch. He had lost track of time as he began to design the layout for the new project he was starting. Before he knew it, his cell phone alarm was going off to remind him he had to be home to greet Connor when the man arrived to meet the rest of his family. He tidied up his desk and walked out of his office to make the drive to his parent’s home. He arrived just before his brother and sister and their soulmates. He watched as they interacted with each other. It looked so effortless for them. They were all so happy and he was just . . . He had no idea what he was. Before he could give anymore thought to trying to figure himself out, the doorbell rang, announcing Connor’s arrival. He greeted Connor and led the man into the dining room where his family had gathered. As he introduced Connor to the rest of his family, he was interrupted by the sound of barking.

Connor turned to Jared and gave him a quizzical look. “What is that racket?”

Jared’s cheeks pinked. “Jax and Luna. Sorry, they need to be let out. I’ll be right back,” he explained and disappeared to let the dogs out so they could burn off some energy. He returned to find everyone seated and ready to eat. The night seemed to pass slowly for him. He was beginning to wonder if it would ever end when Connor explained that he needed to call it a night. 

“Jared, I leave tomorrow, but I’d like us to spend some time together. Would you be able to meet me for lunch at the hotel restaurant?” Connor inquired.

“Tomorrow?” Jared parroted. There was something about tomorrow, but he just couldn’t recall what it was. His mind was muddled as he tried to figure things out. He looked at everyone, hoping someone would remind him why Saturday was important. But, no one spoke up, except his mother. 

“Jared would love to,” his mother replied for him. 

He glared at her before plastering a smile on his face. “Of course, how’s twelve-thirty sound?”

“It sounds perfect,” Connor stated as he stood to leave. Jared walked him out and bid the man goodnight. He closed the front door and climbed the steps to the second floor, entering his room and shutting the bedroom door. He paced the room, but the movement did nothing to ease his tense muscles. He stripped out of his suit and pulled on a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and his sneakers. Maybe a walk would to him some good, he thought to himself as he made his way downstairs. He avoided his family in favor of getting his dogs on their leashes and took them with him for his walk. He needed to clear his head; think over things, what he wanted, who he wanted. By the time he returned from his walk, both he and his dogs were exhausted. He quickly changed and fell into bed without a thought that he hadn’t called Jensen, again.

When his alarm sounded, Jard rolled over and groaned. He reached out and silenced his alarm. He lay in bed thinking of how he had to get up and meet Connor for lunch. All he wanted to do was go home. But, he had made a promise to see where things would go with himself and Connor. He had also made a promise to Jensen. He bolted upright in bed. Jensen. He hadn’t called Jensen in two days and today . . . today was supposed to be the day they were to be married. “I’m such an ass!” His words were met with what seemed to be agreeable barks. He looked down to see Jax and Luna staring up at him. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. I just have to get through today. Then we can go home,” he offered as an explanation to his dogs. He pushed aside the covers and got up, making his way to the bathroom to shower and dress for the day. After he met with Connor, he would be able to make his decision, he was sure of it. 

He took his dogs out in the backyard to play for a while before he had to leave to meet with Connor. He was deep in thought and didn’t hear his father’s approach until the dogs barked. He looked up to see his father standing there, petting Luna.

“Dad,” he said and waited for his father to speak.

“Jared,” his father said and then nodded as he stopped petting Luna. “You don’t seem happy,” his father finally said. 

“Just a lot on my mind,” Jared responded in answer to his father’s statement. He wasn’t happy. He just didn’t know why, because he knew he should be happy. He finally had what he had wanted; his soulmate. But, it was tearing him apart; having to make a decision, who he was going to choose, whose heart he was going to break. 

“Is this about your soulmate?” his father asked. “Son, I think it’s pretty clear what your choice is. You just have to make it. It’s not easy sometimes. And someone’s going to get hurt, but that’s just how life is,” his father said before placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Just do what’s right for you,” he said and then left Jared to bring his dogs inside before Jared left for the restaurant.

Jared sat in the parking lot of the hotel trying to gather up the desire to go in and meet Connor. He knew he had to, he just didn’t want to. What he wanted was to be anywhere but there. With a heavy sigh, he got out of his truck and headed into the hotel lobby. As he entered, he heard someone calling his name. He looked up to see Connor walking toward him. He tried to smile, but couldn’t muster up the will to plaster a smile on his face. Either Connor hadn’t noticed, or he hadn’t cared. 

“Jared,” Connor said enthusiastically with a smile on his lips as he walked up to the taller man. “I was wondering if you were going to stand me up. It’s nearly one in the afternoon.”

“Sorry, I guess I lost track of time. Today . . .” He let his words trail off. What was he supposed to say? That he didn’t want to be here. That today was supposed to be his and Jensen’s wedding day? That today, he had yet to call Jensen, that he hadn’t spoken to Jensen since Wednesday? He had promised Jensen that they would speak everyday and he had broken his word to the man. 

“Come on, they’re still holding our table,” Connor stated as he linked his arm with Jared’s, practically dragging Jared into the restaurant with him. 

Jared’s brows furrowed as he noticed that he didn’t feel the pull toward Connor as they touched. That was odd. Even through their clothing they should have been able to feel the pull toward each other. But, it wasn’t there, at least not for him and Connor gave no indication that he hadn’t felt it either. Maybe it was just him, maybe he had just missed it because he had been thinking about Jensen. He stumbled behind the smaller man in confusion, still wondering why he had even shown up. Connor had been droning on about how he had been waiting for him and the wait had given him a chance to look over the menu. He wanted to tell the man that he didn’t care. He stood staring at Connor and then was hit with a dose of reality. When they had just touched, he hadn’t felt that spark between them; not like when they had first met. Sure, he had been caught up in the fact that he had met his soulmate, but he couldn’t remember feeling the intense pull toward the man. He had felt the initial spark upon their first contact, but since then, he hadn’t really felt anything. He bit his bottom lip as looked into Connor’s eyes.

“Jared?” Connor questioned when he noticed Jared staring at his lips. 

Jared licked his lips and then drew his eyes up to look into Connor’s brown eyes. “There’s something I need to do,” he said and then bit his lower lip again. “Can I kiss you?” he asked and then looked away, feeling silly for having to ask. But, he got the feeling that Connor wouldn’t have have been pleased if he had just leaned in and kissed him. He never got that open and receptive response from Connor when they were together.

“Yes,” Connor replied and moved closer to Jared. He placed his hands on Jared’s biceps and leaned in, closing his eyes as he shared his first kiss with Jared.

Jared brought his attention back to Connor and leaned in, closed his eyes and kissed Connor. It was like he had been dosed with cold water as his lips met Connor’s. He felt nothing as he kissed the man that was his soulmate. “Jensen,” he murmured against Connor’s lips as he pulled away.

“Connor,” the man replied as he opened his eyes to look up at Jared.

“No. I mean, I know you’re Connor. But it’s Jensen that I’m meant to be with. I’m sorry. I don’t feel anything for you,” he said as he gave Connor a pained look.

Connor breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Christ,” he muttered. He saw the look of confusion on Jared’s face and smiled at him. “I didn’t feel anything either. And, while you’re a nice guy, I already have someone back home that I love.” He raised his hand to stop Jared from interrupting him. “I had to give this a shot, see if there was anything to this whole soulmate thing between us. I felt the pull toward you when we first met, but it wasn’t anything substantial and it feels like it’s been lessening as we’ve spent time together. Maybe, if we had met first, before we fell in love with other people, the bond would be there between us. But, it’s not and we’re just not meant to be with each other.” Connor shook his head and laughed. “I’m going home. I need to tell Brett that he’s my one. I think you need to do the same with Jensen. He’s clearly the one for you.”

“Yeah,” Jared agreed. “I need to go. I need to tell Jensen that he’s the one I love, the one I want to be with.” Jared started for the door and stopped when he heard Connor calling to him.

“Jensen’s a lucky guy,” Connor stated.

Jared turned back to look at Connor, a dimpled smile on his face. “No, I’m the lucky one.” He pushed open the door to the restaurant and ran to his tuck. As he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road, he placed a call to Jensen. He frowned when the home phone went to voicemail. He called again and got the same result. Next, he tried Jensen’s cell phone. “Come on, Jensen, pick up,” he muttered as he waited, listening to the phone ring and then finally go to voicemail. “Jensen, it’s me. Look, I’m sorry I was so stupid. I’m on my way home. I’ll explain everything when I get there.” He ended the call and put his foot on the gas pedal, propelling his truck along the stretch of road faster; needing to get home to Jensen as soon as possible.

He pulled into the driveway, slammed the truck into park and yanked the key from the ignition. He ran to their front door, fumbling for the key as he tried to get the door unlocked. “Jensen!” he called out as he entered, only to be met with silence. He closed the door and moved further into the house. “Jensen!” he called again. The silence was shocking to his system. Their home was never silent. The dogs were always running back and forth from one room to another, Nico always found herself in the mix and Jensen usually had music playing softly in the background. He reminded himself that the dogs were at his parents and he had no idea where Nico was at the moment. He walked into the kitchen and noticed the envelope on the table. He stared at it, not wanting to pick it up. He recognized the handwriting, the sleek cursive strokes of his name in black pen and knew this had been left for him by Jensen. With a shaking hand, he reached out and picked up the envelope. He pulled out the letter and heard a clunking sound as a metal key fell against the table. He looked at the key for a moment before he picked it up and pocketed it and then turned his attention to the paper he held in his hand. He unfolded it and his vision began to blur. He wiped at his wet eyes as he read Jensen’s words.

_ Jared, _

_ I don’t even know where to begin. I will always love you. What we had, while it lasted, was the happiest time of my life. Thank you for that. But, it’s over. And we both know that. I don’t blame you, or Connor. It was always going to happen. I was just kidding myself; prolonging the inevitable. We were never meant to be. You have a soulmate. You have finally found each other and I can’t stand in the way of that. I love you too much to deny you your happiness. I spoke with Mark from the Allan House and explained everything. He’s still holding the date for you and Connor. Or, you can work something out for another date. I just want the best for you and that’s Connor. I wish the two of you a life full of love. Just be happy. You deserve that. _

_ Jensen _

The paper fluttered to the floor as Jared let go of it and ran to their bedroom. He pulled open the closet to find Jensen’s side filled with empty hangers. “No, no, no,” he repeated as he pulled open the drawers to Jensen’s dresser, only to find they had been emptied out. He ran back down the stairs and into the office he shared with Jensen. Jensen’s laptop and everything else he used for his job were gone. “Nico!” He tore into the kitchen, pulled open the cabinet where they stored the pet foot to find Nico’s cat food was gone, He searched the house only to find that Nico’s cat box, toys and cat carrier were also missing.

Jared ran from the house and to his truck; the only thing on his mind was Jensen; how he had hurt Jensen enough to make him leave their home. He had to find the older man and explain everything to him, that he loved Jensen and only him. He drove in the direction of Jensen’s old apartment, hoping that maybe Jensen had returned there, even though Jensen had subleaseed his place. Maybe Jensen’s friend who was staying there had an idea of where he was if Jensen wasn’t there. As he neared the park they had met at, he noticed a familiar parked car and a lone figure sitting on a park bench. The park was nearly deserted and he was sure that figure was Jensen. He slammed his foot down on the brake, bring his truck to a hard stop and parked it, not caring if he was in a parking space. He jumped out of the truck and ran to the figure sitting on the stone park bench. “Jensen!” he uttered as he reached the lone figure seated on the bench. A look of relief replaced the one of despair he had on his face when he came to stand in front of Jensen. 

Bewilderedly, Jensen looked around. He had heard his name being called. It had sounded like Jared’s voice. But, that was impossible. Jared wasn’t here. Jared was with Connor. They were probably married by now. He felt his chest tighten and he couldn’t breathe. That thought had robbed his lungs of oxygen.

“Jensen,” Jared called out as he grabbed the older man by the shoulders. Jensen raised his face up to him, but his green eyes were clouded over; unseeing who was standing right before him. “Jensen,” he said as he gently shook the man. 

“Jared?” he asked in confusion, tilting his head to the side and furrowed his brows. “Why are you here?”

“I went home to talk to you and you were gone. I found your letter.” He felt a stab of pain hit him as he remembered what Jensen had written. How Jensen was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to make sure he was happy. “I was on my way to your old apartment when I saw you sitting here. Why are you sitting here?” he asked in confusion.

Jensen laughed a small dry laugh. This had to be his imagination; there was no way that Jared could be here. But, he’d play along with this, if only for a moment. “What about your wedding? Was it nice? I bet your parents were happy to see you married to your soulmate. I wished for so long that I was your soulmate. That you would always want me. But, I’m not your soulmate. But, you’re not here, are you? You’re with Connor . . .” he said quietly to himself, thinking that Jared wasn’t there in the park with him.

Jared tightened his hold on Jensen, trying to get through to the man he loved that he was right there in front of him. That he was real and that Jensen was actually seeing him and not something that Jensen’s mind was tormenting himself with. His heart broke with the knowledge that he was the cause of Jensen’s pain. That he had hurt the man he finally realized that he truly loved; the man he had always loved. He closed his eyes as his tears slid down his cheeks. If Jensen saw past his stupidity, he would do everything in his power to make sure Jensen knew how much he was loved, that he was the lucky one for having Jensen’s love.  

Jensen felt the pressure on his shoulders tighten, making him feel uncomfortable and he needed to make it stop. He pulled away from the image of Jared before him, slamming himself back against the stone bench. The blow punched the air out of his lungs, bringing him back from the grief he had been lost in. He felt large hands cupping his face and he forced himself to look; to actually look at the person that was crouched down in front of him. His eyes widened in disbelief. It was Jared. He raised his hands to rest over Jared’s hands, believing for a moment that when he touched those hands that they, along with Jared would disappear. The hands were warm and when his hands connected with them, they along with Jared remained. Jared was really there. He shook his head, “What . . .  what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Connor, marrying Connor? Married to Connor? Won’t Connor be upset that you’re here?”

“Connor’s gone,” Jared said as he let go of Jensen and moved to sit down next to him. 

“I don’t understand,” Jensen said as he shook his head again, trying to clear his thoughts. “Connor’s gone? But, he’s your soulmate. He’s the one you’re supposed to be with. Why is he gone? Why are you here and not going after him; trying to get him back?”

“We both realized that we both love other people. He has someone at home. And I realized that I already had my soulmate.” Jared turned to look at Jensen and grabbed his hand, forcing Jensen to look at him. He watched as Jensen looked down at their hands and then up at him. He smiled, a dimpled smile conveying the love he felt for the man sitting next to him. “You’re my soulmate, Jensen. I love you. I was so stupid to think anything else mattered. What matters is you. You’re the one I want, the one I choose. There’s no one else I want to marry, to spend my life with.”

Jensen looked back at Jared, his wide green eyes taking in the larger man sitting next to him. “What about your dream of having your soulmate? You’re just willing to give that up? To go against everything you’ve ever wanted, when you finally have that? I’m not your soulmate. How will you ever be happy with me? What about your family? What will they think?”

Jared leaned over and stopped Jensen from speaking by capturing his lips for a searing kiss. He let go of Jensen’s hands, only to place one hand on Jensen’s back, and the other on the back of his head, pulling Jensen to his body and deepening the kiss. When the need for oxygen was too much, he broke the kiss, leaving them both panting for air. “I don’t care about anyone else, except you. Do you still love me?” God, he hoped Jensen’s answer was yes. He prayed that Jensen still loved him. He didn’t know what he’d do if Jensen’s answer was no. He couldn’t blame the older man if he said no. He knew he had hurt Jensen without meaning to. He had been so stupid, getting caught up in the desire to have soulmate, to not see what he had in front of himself the entire time; Jensen. He knew that now. 

Jensen licked his kiss swollen lips, tasting Jared on them and then shook his head. “Yes, I never stopped.” He bit his bottom lip in uncertainty at having just said those words But, he couldn’t deny them. So help him, he still loved Jared and he knew he always would. 

Hearing those words, Jared slid off the bench and placed one knee on the ground with the other bent in front of him. He took Jensen’s left hand in his right one and looked into Jensen’s green eyes. “Jensen, will you marry me? I don’t want to wait. I don’t need to take a moment to think things through. I want to marry you, today!” he breathed out in excitement.

“Yes!” Jensen said and then flung himself into Jared’s arms, knocking the stunned man over. He felt Jared’s arms encircling him as he lay on top of Jared. He felt Jared’s chest moving and then he heard Jared’s laughter. He tensed for a moment and then began to pull away, trying to right himself, thinking that Jared was laughing at his stupidity. That Jared had been playing a cruel joke on him and he was just now understanding the punch line. He hunched in on himself, trying to block himself from the pain he was being consumed with. 

“Jensen?” Jared asked cautiously, sensing the change in the man on top of him as Jensen stiffened in his arms. He saw the look of hurt that passed over Jensen’s face before Jensen pulled away from him, stood up and began to walk away from him. He quickly got to his feet and grabbed Jensen by the wrist, stopping him from walking away. He was determined not to let Jensen go. He would fix whatever he had broken between them. He looked at Jensen and then toward where Jensen had started to walk to. He noticed Jensen’s car and the cargo trailer attached to it. “Jensen, you were planning on leaving?” 

“Were leaving? No, Jared, I am leaving,” he stated in a quiet voice.

“Why?” Jared asked, not hiding his shock at hearing that Jensen had planned on leaving town.

“Because, I can’t stay here. I can’t see you with Connor. It’ll be too hard.” He tried to pull away from Jared, only to find himself being pulled back and turned around. “Just let me go and then you can go be with your soulmate.”

“Jensen, please. I thought we . . .” Jared shook his head. “No, you’re not leaving. You’re not leaving me!” he said with determination. Then he realized what had caused the change in Jensen. That Jensen had thought his laughter hadn’t been from joy that Jensen had just agreed to marry him, but that he had been laughing at Jensen’s response. “I wasn’t joking a minute ago when I said I love you. That I want to marry you. I wasn’t laughing at you I was laughing from happiness.” He saw the doubt in Jensen’s eyes. “Let me prove it to you,” he said and fished out his phone from the front pocket of his pants. He dialed a number and waited for it to be answered. As the call was picked up he placed it on speaker. 

“Hello,” spoke the unfamiliar voice. Jensen looked at the phone and then at Jared, not understanding who was on the phone.

“Connor, it’s Jared.”

“Hey Jared. How did it go with Jensen? Did the two of you talk? I hope so, because I wanted to invite the both of you to my wedding. After I got home, I sat Brett down and told him I didn’t want to wait. That I wanted to marry him as soon as possible. We set a date for two weeks from today. No more of this stupid soulmate bullshit.”

“About that . . .”

Connor cut Jared off. “Oh man. Tell me he’s at least willing to hear you out.”

“I’m trying to convince him to get married to me, today. I’m with him right now, but I think he needed to hear it from you that you and I aren’t together.”

“Jensen, are you there?” Connor called from the other end of the call.

Jensen cleared his throat and took a deep breath before answering. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Listen, this entire soulmate thing is crap. Jared and I don’t belong together. And, even if we had met before we fell in love with other people, I don’t think it would have worked out. We’re just too different. But, I can tell you that Jared loves you. He never stopped thinking about you. I could tell you were always in his thoughts, even if he didn’t talk about you. If you love him, don’t let him go. Jared, I gotta go. Take care and I wish you both happiness,” Connor said before he ended the call.

Before Jensen could say anything, Jared was dialing another number. They heard the call being picked up and Jared’s mother’s voice as she answered the phone. “Jared, what’s going on? We all expected you and Connor to come over after meeting at the restaurant . . .”

“Mom, stop. Just listen to me. There is nothing between myself and Connor. We both love other people.”

“But, you’re soulmates.”

“Yeah, who have nothing in common, except that we’re both in love with other people. He loves his fiance Brett. They’re getting married in two weeks and, if Jensen still wants me, I want to marry him. Today.”

“Jared, don’t you think you should try to work things out with your soulmate?” his mother questioned.

“No, what I think is that you and the rest of the family should be happy for me. Be thrilled that I found someone who makes me happy, that loves me no matter what,” Jared stated to his mother. He looked at Jensen and gave him a smile. “Jensen loved me enough to step aside if that’s what would have made me happy. But, it didn’t. Jensen is the one I love. I hope you’ll be able to understand that,” he said and ended the call, not giving his mother a chance to say anything else.

“Jared,” Jensen said and looked up into the hazel eyes of the man he loved. He gave Jared a soft smile.

“What more proof do you need?” Jared asked. “Anything. I’ll do anything to prove to you that I love you. That you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Please, come home. Please marry me.” 

“Nothing else. You just did it,” Jensen responded. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said and started to walk toward his car.

“Jensen,” Jared said and watched as Jensen stopped walking and turned back to him, a questioning look on his face. “Where’s Nico?”

Jensen tilted his head back and laughed. “At a friends. I asked if she would take Nico until I found a place that would allow pets. What? Did you think I had her stashed in the car or the cargo trailer?” Jensen looked at Jared and saw the sadness in his eyes.

Jared looked at Jensen’s car and then back at Jensen. As he looked at Jensen, he felt overwhelming sadness. He dropped his eyes to the ground, not able to really look at the man before him. “You were really going to leave? You weren’t even going to say anything to me, were you? You just left that note for me.” He took a stuttered breath and finally forced himself to look up, meeting Jensen’s eyes. “I’m so sorry I hurt you.” He took a few steps forward, with his hand outstretched to touch Jensen. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to hurt you. Please believe me.”

Jensen reached out and met Jared’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I know you never meant to. It just happened and it was no one’s fault. Let’s put it behind us and go home,” he said with a soft smile. “Come on, you can follow me, to make sure I actually drive home.”

“Well, you’ll need this,” Jared said as he pulled Jensen’s house key from his front pocket. He handed it to Jensen. Their fingers touched and he felt a spark of electricity exchange between them. He saw the look of surprise on Jensen’s face when his hazel eyes met Jensen’s green orbs. “Did you feel that?” Jared asked in breathless surprise and watched as Jensen shook his head yes before breaking physical contact with him. He watched as Jensen tried to add the key to his keyring. Jensen’s hands were shaking and he stepped in to help him. Together, they added the key to the others on the keyring and then Jared leaned down and kissed Jensen. “I’ll meet you at home,” he said as they parted, each walking to their own vehicles. 

Jared got into his car and pulled out his phone. He held it in his hand and watched as Jensen started his car and pulled away in the direction of their home. He dialed a number and placed a call, hoping that Jensen wouldn’t be angry with him when Jensen figured out what he had done. When he had ended his call, he shoved his phone back into his pants and started his truck. He pulled out of his parking space and followed the same route that Jensen had driven. When he arrived home, he heaved a sigh of relief at seeing Jensen’s car parked in front of their home. Their home, the thought hit him, it would never have been home to him again if Jensen wasn’t there with him. No one else would have been able to make his house feel like a home. Jensen was what his house had been missing before he had convinced the older man to move in with him. Jensen’s warmth, his laugh, his love and his presence had made his house into a home for them both. 

He pulled into the driveway and followed Jensen inside. He took the bag from Jensen’s hands, letting it fall to the floor as he took Jensen in his arms. “I love you. I’m never letting you go,” he said as he leaned down to capture Jensen’s lips in a scorching kissing. He turned them so that Jensen’s back was to the door and he pushed the smaller man up against it. He placed his hands on either side of Jensen’s shoulders, using his body to cage Jensen against the door. He pressed up against Jensen’s body, feeling the older man’s body heat through their clothing. He trailed his lips down Jensen’s neck, kissing along the sensitive flesh. He sucked the skin in between his lips, and fought the urge to leave a bruise, marking Jensen for all those to see. He wanted to stake his claim, making it know that Jensen was his. A knock at the door stopped him from doing that. He pulled back and away from Jensen so Jensen could step away from the door. He saw the questioning look Jensen shot him, but he ignored it as he answered the door. “Thanks for coming,” he said as he greeted the man standing on their porch. “Please, come in.” He stepped aside, allowing the man to enter their home and heard Jensen gasp.

“Jensen,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan said as he stood in the living room. JD was supposed to have been the Justice of the Peace they had hired to marry them. He smiled as he took in the look of shock on the green eyed man’s face. “I’m guessing Jared didn’t tell you his plan?”

“No,” Jensen uttered as his eyes ticked from JD’s smiling face to Jared’s concerned one.

Jared stepped forward, with his hand outstretched to Jensen. “I was serious when I said I still wanted to marry you. Today was supposed to be our day. I still want that, if you’re willing.” He shifted nervously on his feet as he waited for Jensen’s answer.

“Yes,” Jensen answered with conviction. “Yes, I’m willing. Today is our wedding day.”

“Wait, I’ll be right back,” Jared called over his shoulder as he disappeared up the stairs. He returned a few minutes later, patting his left front pocket of his pants as he stood next to Jensen. “What do you need us to do?” 

“You boys just stand there,” JD stated. “Hold hands if you want.” He watched as Jared’s hand shot out to grab Jensen’s. “Ready to get married?” He heard them both breathe out ‘Yes’ and chuckled. “Good, Now, do you Jared take Jensen to be your husband? To honor, love and cherish him the rest of your life?”

“I do,” Jared said, his voice never wavering as he answered. He pulled the wedding rings out of his pocket and slipped the smaller of the two rings onto Jensen’s ring finger and then handed his to Jensen.

“And do you Jensen, take Jared to be your husband? To honor, love and cherish him the rest of your life?”

“I do,” Jensen answer with the same conviction Jared had as he slipped the wedding ring on Jared’s finger.

“Well then, it gives me great joy to pronounce that you’re now married. You may kiss each other, if you’d like,” JD proclaimed as he stepped back, giving the two men some room to seal their union with a kiss.

Jared grabbed Jensen and pulled him to his chest before he crashed his lips over Jensen’s. He felt Jensen lean into him, deepening the kiss. They only broke away when they heard JD clearing his throat. They both turned to JD; a dimpled smile on Jared’s face and a blush on Jensen’s face. 

“Well, let me be the first to congratulate you as a married couple. But, we do need to sign a set of papers; your marriage certificate.” JD pulled a set of papers out from the inner pocket of his jacket and waved them once in their direction. He moved over to the coffee table and placed them down. He pulled out a pen from the same inside pocket and signed his name in triplicate. He turned to Jared and handed him the pen. “This is the time to decide if you want to change your name,” JD informed them as Jared put the pen to the paper. 

“Thanks,” Jared said as he accepted the offered pen. He leaned over and signed his name under JD’s. He stood back and with a dazzling smile, offered the pen to Jensen.

Jensen reached for the pen and bent down to sign his name. He thought he would be shaking as he took the pen, but his hand was steady. He hadn’t felt this calm since before Jared had hit him with the news of Jared meeting his soulmate.

“You’ll sign here,” JD stated, pointing to the line he would be signing his name on.

Jensen shook his head in understanding and signed his name; Jensen Ackles-Padalecki. He would always be Jensen Ackles; he would never let go of that part of him. But, Jared had chosen him to make a life with over Jared’s destined soulmate. He wanted to honor what Jared had done; going against everything that Jared had believed in, possibly angering his family, choosing him to marry and build a life with. He stood to his full height and handed the pen back to JD.

JD took the pen from Jensen and then scooped up the papers. He handed the last page to Jared and Jensen. “This is your copy showing you’re married. I’ll file the paperwork on Monday with City Hall to make it official and I’ll send you your copy of the marriage license that City Hall will keep on file. The other copy I’ll keep on file in my office.” He extended his hand to Jared and shook his hand and then Jensen’s. “Congratulations to you both. I wish you nothing but happiness. I’ll show myself out,” he said as he made his way to the front door. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Jared had Jensen in his arms again. He smiled at the couple as he left their home.

“Are you happy?” Jared asked as he looked down at Jensen. He tenderly held the older man in his arms, still in awe at the fact that he had gotten to Jensen before the man had disappeared from his life because of his own stupidity. He was amazed that he had been able to stop Jensen from leaving town and that he had managed to convince Jensen to return to their home with him and marry him. Now, Jensen was his husband. 

“Yes, unbelievably so,” Jensen confirmed.

“Good, because I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I love Jensen Ackles and I always will,” he promised.

“Ackles-Padalecki,” Jensen told the younger man and then he pulled Jared down into a passionate kiss. He breathed in Jared’s scent, as he nosed at Jared’s neck, laying gentle kisses along the tender skin. He closed his eyes and rested his head against Jared’s shoulder, finding comfort in Jared’s embrace.

Jared sucked in a breath as Jensen’s words registered in his mind. “Wait, what? You took my name?” he asked in disbelief. He had never thought, even before this past week and everything that had happened, that Jensen would take his name. It had never come up in conversation and he had never dared to ask Jensen if he would even consider changing his name. “I never thought you’d want to.”

“We never talked about it, but it just seems right. It’s who I am, now.” He bit his lower lip and looked at Jared. He started to try to back away from Jared; second guessing his decision. Had Jared not wanted him to take his last name? “I mean . . . I can always . . . It was stupid . . . I’ll change . . .” His words were cut off as Jared pulled him back into his arms and Jared crashed their lips together.

As Jared broke the kiss, his lips quirked up into a smile. “No, I don’t want you to change it back. I want everyone to know that you’re my husband. I’m honored that you would want to take my last name in any way. But, I do have a confession to make.” He saw the look of fear in Jensen’s eyes and hoped that what he was about to say would relieve his fear and actually make him happy. “I took your name. Seems that Ackles-Padalecki was a popular thought today.”

“Why?” Jensen looked at Jared, shock clearly showing on his face.

“Because, even though I put you through Hell this past week, you came back to me. And because I love you, Jensen Ackles-Padalecki.” A soft smile came to his lips as he spoke Jensen’s name. He liked the sound of Jensen’s and his combined last name.

“I love you, too, Jared Ackles-Padalecki.” Jensen let go of Jared and fished out his phone. He saw the look of confusion on Jared’s face but ignored it as he brought up the camera feature and threaded their left hands together. He snapped a picture and then began to type a message,  _ Just said I do. Jensen Ackles-Padalecki _ . He pressed the send button and waited. As his phone rang, Jared picked up his own phone. He turned his attention away from Jared and back to answering his call. “Mom,” he managed to get out before his parents excited voices cut him off.

“Are you really?” his mother questioned. “You’re married?” his father inquired and he could hear the happiness in their voices as they spoke.

He laughed at their reactions. “Yes, Jared and I are married. I hope you’re happy for us.”

“We are,” his parents said in unison.

“Thank you. I’ll call you later. Jared and I have to get my things moved back in and then go pick up Nico, Jax and Luna. Love you,” he said and ended his call. He turned to Jared and heard Jared speaking to his parents.

“Mom, Dad, just accept it, Jensen is the one for me. We’re married and we’ve taken each other’s names. Oh, and feel free to spread the word to our family and friends that I didn’t marry my soulmate, but the man I truly love.” He heard his mother make a non committal sound, but continued speaking. “Somehow, Chad found out or was informed of me meeting my soulmate and calling things off with Jensen before I had even had a chance to figure things out. I never said a word to anyone but you and Dad and I never called things off with Jensen. I just asked him for some time to figure things out. I nearly lost Jensen because of this whole soulmate bullshit,” he shot out at his mother. He went quiet as his mother began to speak.

“Jared, seriously?” his mother asked in an exasperated tone. “You’re soulmate . . .”

“My soulmate? If I had to pick a soulmate, that person would be Jensen! I love him. I’m in love with him. When are you going to understand that?” Jared growled into the phone.

Jensen saw Jared’s body tense as he spoke to his parents and he placed a hand on the younger man’s back, hoping Jared would find comfort in his touch. He remained silent as Jared continued his call.

“I married Jensen . . .” Jared managed to say before his father cut him off.

“Seriously, we’re very happy for you,” his father said, cutting him off. “Your soulmate wasn’t the one for you, Jensen is. We see that now and accept it. We’ll keep these miniature horses you call dogs overnight. Come by for brunch tomorrow so we can celebrate with you and Jensen. We love you, both of you.” his father said and then ended the call, despites his mother’s continued protests.

Jared turned to Jensen with a wide smile on his face. “Well, Dad’s happy for us and wants us to come over tomorrow for brunch to celebrate and get the dogs.” The smile slipped from Jared’s face. “Mom  . . . Well, she’ll come around and I think my sister and brother will be fine. If not . . .”

Jensen stopped Jared from speak with a kiss. “We’ll figure it all out. We have the rest of our married lives ahead of us to show everyone that we just fit together.” 

Jared smiled again, “Yeah, we do don’t we? Come here,” he said as he pulled Jensen into his arms. “Have I told you that I love you?”

Jensen shook his head. “No, not recently.”

“I love you Jensen Ackles-Padalecki. Never gonna get tired of calling you that.”

“Never gonna get tired of hearing it,” Jensen replied. “I love you, my husband.”

“Say that again,” Jared breathed out.

Jensen laughed. “My husband,” he whispered before he kissed Jared.

Jensen had never been destined for a soulmate, but he had found something no one else would ever have, his husband, Jared. Jared had been someone destined for a soulmate, but had realized that a having a soulmate was nothing compared to having Jensen’s love and being able to call Jensen his husband. 

No matter what came their way in the future, they had each other. Soulmate be damned.       

**Author's Note:**

> Do Not Re-Post Without My Written Permission - Only To Be Posted On My AO3 Or LiveJournal Accounts.
> 
> Written for the anonymous prompt:
> 
> Jared's always wanted a soulmate. His parents were soulmates, as were his grandparents, and pretty much most couples in his family.  
> Only then he meets Jensen, who most definitely, is not his soulmate. And yet somehow, the two of them fall in love.
> 
> They start a relationship, despite everyone around them telling them it's doomed to fail, even get married, ignoring all the naysayers.
> 
> Only worst of all, a week before their wedding, Jared runs into his actual soulmate. Jensen is devastated, after all, he knows how this is going to end, how it always ends, so he figures he'll leave himself the dignity, and leaves, says goodbye to Jared by letter, and promising him he'll let Jared and his soulmate even have the wedding, since Jared deserves the best.
> 
> But to Jensen's shock, instead of going off with his soulmate, Jared comes after Jensen instead, saying that he doesn't care about destiny, or meant to be, that he chose Jensen, and that won't change.
> 
> I'd prefer a happy ending, where the soulmate isn't turned into the bad guy (and preferably gets a happy ending of their own, eventually)
> 
> If any sex, bottom Jensen only


End file.
